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TREE-FERXS, TASMANIA. 



THE 

ISLES OF THE SEA; 

BEING- 

AN ENTERTAINING NARRATIVE 

OF 

A Voyage to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, 

AND EMBRACING 

FULL AND AUTHENTIC ACCOUNTS 

OF THE 

ISLANDS OF POLYNESIA, MICRONESIA, AND MELANESIA, 

ANB INCLUDING A 

FULL AND COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY 

OF 

THE BERMUDAS, THE BAHAMAS, THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS, ISLES IN THE BAT 

OF RIO, THE FALKLAND ISLES, TERRA DEL FUEGO, JUAN FERNANDEZ, 

THE GALAPAGOS, THE MARQUESAS, PAUMOTOU, TAHITI OR SOCIETY 

ISLANDS, SAMOA, TONGA, FIJI, THE NEW HEBRIDES, NORFOLK 

ISLE, NEW CALEDONIA, NEW ZEALAND, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA, 

PAPUA, THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, THE GILBERT GROUPS, 

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, 

THE CAROLINE ISLANDS, THE LADRONES, THE 

BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN, LOO CHOO, FORMOSA, 

THE PHILLIPINES, BORKEO, CELEBES, 

JAVA, SUMATRA, SINGAPORE, CETLON, 

MAURITIUS, MADAGASCAR, AND 

MANY OTHER ISLANDS, 

TOGETHER WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THEIR INHABITAJSTTS. 

BY y 
EDWAED WALTER DAWSON, 




EMBELLISHED WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. 



HARTEORD, CONN. : 
BETTS & CO., Publishers. 

1886. 



. / 

Copyright, 1886, 

Bt BETTS & 00, 

Haktford, Conn, 



The Cane, Lodkwood & Brainard Co., 
Printers, Hartford. Conn. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Since the days of Prince Henry of Portugal, snrnamed the 
Navigator, there have been many books written about the Isles 
of the Sea; indeed, were all the works on the subject, includ- 
ing accounts of voyages of discovery, collected, they would of 
themselves make quite a library. But while, for the informa- 
tion they contain, many of these works are worthy of all com- 
mendation, still, none of them go quite far enough; in truth, 
they do not even give us a glimpse of the whole subject; and 
those which come nearest to doing so are either so antiquated 
as to be very rare, or, if obtainable, practically of little value. 

Missionaries are much given to publishing accounts of their 
missions; and from those who have labored, and those who are 
now laboring on the isles of the Pacific, we have obtained some 
most valuable information. But these good men are too apt 
to confine themselves to their personal affairs, and the imme- 
diate fields of their labors. 

Who ever heard of a navigator who undertook a voyage of 
discovery that did not afterwards publish " a full and authentic 
account" of his perilous venture, with a circumstantial state- 
ment of all his " discoveries " ? Such a seaman, I opine, never 
sailed — never will sail. And while the oceans have fairly 
swarmed with the ships and fleets of discoverers, and the 
shelves of the book-stores have groaned with their productions, 
still these voyagers have only been able to tell us a partial 
story, and even that has not always been reliable. 

Naturalists in search of knowledge, travelers seeking adven- 
tures, invalids in quest of health, have all given us entertain- 
ing — some of them most fascinating — accounts of their wan- 
derings, and so far as they go, a large pro;^ortion of these 
works are particularly valuable; but. like the missionaries, their 

(3) 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

aiithors do not succeed in getting away from themselves, their 
books, in great part, are made up of whatever they as individuals 
are most interested in, whether it be botany or bipeds, corals 
or craters, climates or cocoanuts. Then, too, in hardly any of 
them do we catch even a glimpse of more than a single great 
island, or at most, a group of smaller ones. 

"To the mind of eager youth and sober manhood almost 
alike," says one who has spent many years in Polynesia, "there 
is an imaginative charm in the very word island," and the 
writer never penned truer words; for from the hour when in 
early boyhood we first take up our " Robinson Crusoe " till 
the time in old age when we dream of a winter in the Bermu- 
das or among the Bahamas, or better still, in Hawaii or Samoa, 
the Isles of the Sea have a peculiar fascination for us. 

With many of these isles we are tolerably familiar, and 
besides what we have seen or read of Sicily, Cyprus, and the 
Ionian Islands in the Mediteri-anean, of Cuba, Hayti, and many 
more in the West Indies, of some of the Dutch possessions in 
the East, and the Hawaiian group in the Pacific, of late years 
we have learned much of the islands which make up the 
Empire of Japan. But there are others of which, up to the 
present time, we know very little, notably those of the CaroHne 
Archipelago, the Marshall Islands, the New Hebrides, some 
parts of Borneo, the Solomon Islands, and other Papuan 
groups and isles, including the great island of Papua itself. 
Of all these we wish to know something, at least. How 
eagerly we sought for information about the Carolines when 
Germany undertook to gain possession of that extensive archi- 
pelago, and how little we were able to learn of them. The 
fact is, of many of these groups and islands hardly a word can 
be found in any book heretofore published, while others are 
barely mentioned or incorrectly described. 

It has been my aim in preparing this volume to bring to- 
gether in one comprehensive work all the important isles of 
the sea, and as many of lesser note as possible, and to give the 
latest, the most authentic, and fullest information regarding 
them. By extensive travel and persistent research, I have 



INTRODUCTION. 5 

endeavored to make myself thoroughly familiar with the sub- 
ject. I have consulted not less than two hundred and eighty- 
four authorities, have examined innumerable periodicals, have 
been in correspondence with missionaries, travelers, and emi- 
nent men, among whom I may mention the Rev. Judson 
Smith, D.D., Corresponding Secretary of the American Board 
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, to whom I am undei:, 
special obligations for kind favors; Prof. Jas. D. Dana, of Yale 
College, the Rev. E. E. Strong, D.D., editor of the Missionary 
Herald; the late Rev. Samuel C. Damon of Honolulu — Father 
Damon, as he was familiarly called; and the Hon. 0. H. Piatt, 
U. S. Senator from Connecticut. And it is proper to say that 
no statement has been accepted as a fact and permitted to ap- 
pear in the work until it has been first carefully examined 
and thoroughly substantiated. 

The plan of the work it is hoped will prove particularly 
acceptable and attractive. A learned professor and two young 
graduates of a New England university make the tour of the 
world in an elegant steam yacht, and beguile the time, as they 
pass from ocean to ocean, and from island to island, in conver- 
sations relating to the groups and islands they expect to see. 

The Professor represents his college, the young men are 
brothers, and the party is in search of an uncle of the young 
men, whose signature is necessary to make valid a transfer of 
valuable property to the university. When last heard of this 
uncle was residing on one of the romantic isles of the Pacific; 
but years have passed without any word or sign from him, or 
any information regarding him, and therefore it is necessary 
to seek him out, or secure evidence of his death. 

On the passage through the Atlantic the yacht pays a visit 
to the Bermudas, which are now becoming such a popular 
winter resort for our invalids and others. They also stop in 
the West Indies, tarry for a time in the magnificent Bay of 
Rio, learn something of the Falkland Islands, pass through 
the Strait of Magellan, and become acquainted with the de- 
graded natives of Terra del Fuego. Having emerged into the 
Pacific, they visit Juan Fernandez, then stopping at Callao, 
hear news of Mr. Pierpont, the party they are in search of, 
and so steam to the Galapagos group. From this point the 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

seeming fugitive leads them an exciting chase all over Poly- 
nesia, until at last they come up with him at Lahaina, the 
port of Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands, when he agrees to 
accompany them home. It being necessary, however, that he 
should visit Amoy and Hong Kong, they return via China 
and the Indian Ocean, thus passing through Micronesia, and 
learning much of its coral isles and atolls, hearing, too, some- 
thing of the Bonin Islands, visiting Loo Choo, seeing Formosa 
and Amoy, and many other groups and islands. Passing 
through the China Sea, they catch a glimpse of the Phillip- 
pines, gain some knowledge of Borneo, and the other isles of 
Malasia, and after calling at Singapore, steam through the 
Strait of Malacca, and enter the Indian Ocean. Here, from 
the lips of the Professor and Mr. Pierpont, they become 
acquainted with new islands and groups, and at length, after a 
pleasant passage, come to anchor in Table Bay. A day later 
the yacht's head is turned toward home, where, after calling 
at St. Helena, and learning something of the groups in the 
eastern Atlantic, they arrive in safety, after an absence of 
more than a year. 

In describing islands, districts, villages, and tribes in Poly- 
nesia and Micronesia, it has been thoiight best to adhere closely 
to one set of names and one form of orthography, though, as 
all students of Polynesian and Micronesian history are aware, 
no two authors agree in these particulars. For instance, in 
writing of tlie Marquesas and the Marquesans, Porter's Tieuhoy 
is changed into Taiohae by Stewart, his Tayeh becomes Teii, 
his Happah is Hapa, his Typee is Taipii or Tapii. and mattee 
(to kill, hurt, etc.) is mate, and so on. In giving the preference 
to the native names for groups, clusters, and islands, I feel 
that I have taken the only proper course; in other matters I 
have endeavored to follow the best authorities. 

That the volume may prove both entertaining and instruc- 
tive to the reader, and that he may feel that the time bestowed 
upon it by him has been well spent, is the sincere wish of 

THE AUTHOR. 
233 Orange Street, 
New Haven, June 2, 1886. 




( 


^^ ^/— - 


^^ 


Page. 


1 


Tree Ferns, Tasmania, 


. Frontispiece. 


3 


Near Hamti^ton, 


• 


78 


3 


Jardin des Plants, 


. 


96 


4 


Forest Scejne, Carribee Isles, . 


(Full page) 


101 


5 


Bay of Rio, .... 


(FuU page) 


105 


6 


Avenue of Falms, . 


(Full page) 


109 


7 


Patagonians, . . 




131 


8 


Ftjegians, .... 


. 


133 


9 


A FxjEGiAN Settlement, . 


. 


134 


10 


Mountain Stream, Juan Fernandez, . 


. 


130 


11 


Tattooed Marquesan Chiefs, 


. 


167 


13 


Neck Ornament of a Chief, 


, 


168 


13 


Marquesan Chief, . 


. 


174 


14 


Kava Bowl, . . . • , • 




189 


15 


Fight with the Typees, . 


. 


310 


16 


Glen, Head of the Valley of Tieuho 


Y, (Full page) 


331 


17 


PiARORo's Hand, . . . . 


. 


335 


18 


Feather Apron, . . . . 


, 


383 


19 


KusAiE, Caroline Islands, 


(Full page) 


385 


30 


A Model Atoll, 


(Full page) 


393 


31 


Gilbert Island Warriors, 


. 


336 


33 


Missionary Station at Apaiang, 


, 


338 


33 


Sunday Morning at Apaiang, 


. 


333 


34 


Village in the Kingsmill Group, 


(Full page) 


343 


35 


Under the Cocoanut Palms, 


(Full page) 


353 


36 


The Human SACR:rFiCE, 


. 


388 


37 


Natives op Tahiti, 


. 


400 



C7) 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



28 Tree Ferns, ... . (Full page; 

29 Cloth making, Samoa, 

30 Leumanu, Chief of Apia, 

31 Fantulia, wife of Leumanu, 

32 Tattooing Day in Samoa, 

33 Gilbert Island Maneaba, 

34 An Island Village, . . . (FuU page 

35 Riyer Yarra-Yarra at Saint Hubert, 

36 Vineyard at Saint Hubert, 

37 EoAD through the Gum Trees, . . (Full page 

38 The "Wanderers, 

39 Camp of Australian Aborigines, . (Full page 

40 A Bottle Tree, .... (Full page 

41 A South Australian Aboriginal, 

42 Botanical Garden at Adelaide, 

43 Green Jade Adz and Chisel, 

44 Common Stone Adz, 

45 Two Faces: Tattooed Chief, Captain Bradford, 

46 Maori Children at Play, 

47 Natives op the New Hebrides, 

48 A Solomon Islander, 

49 Carved Feather Box, 

50 Preparing Dinner, 

51 A Palm Tree, 
53 A Native Papuan, . 

53 Malay Children, . 

54 Malay Woman and Child, 

55 A Celebes Forest, 

56 Residence op the Overseer op Coffee Culture 

(Full page 

57 Manyuema "Warriors, 

58 Village of the Malay Akchipelago, . (Full page 

59 An Island Forest, .... (Full page 

60 House at Batavia, . . ■ . . (Full page 

61 Shark-tooth Gauntlet, . 

62 Idol, Solomon Islands, 

63 Inclosurb and Plantation, Tonga, 

64 Daughter op a Chief, 

65 Interior op a Dwelling, Tonga, 

66 Fijian Clubs, Nos. 1 and 2, 

67 Fijian Clubs, Nos. 3, 4, and 5, . 

68 A BuRE or Temple, Fiji, 

69 Orator's Flapper, 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



70 
71 
72 
73 
74 
75 
76 
77 
78 
79 
80 
81 
82 
83 
84 
85 
86 
87 



90 
91 
92 
93 



Hawaiian Women, Eating Poi, 

Hawaiian Girls and Pig, 

Chief's Helmet, Hawaii, 

KiLAUEA, Hawaii, . 

Waikiki, near Honolulu, 

Map op Micronesia, 

Marshall Islanders, 

Princess Opatinia, 

Caroline Islanders, 

A Home in Micronesia, 

A Canoe House, Makira Bay, 

Head-dress, . 

Under the BanyanS, 

Chinese of Formosa, 

Amoy, . 

Malay Children, . 

A Young Dyak Girl, 

Dyak Girls, . 

A Dyak Village, . 

A Village Scene, Sumatra, 

The Batang-Hari, near the Jamba, 

Floating House on the Jamba, 

A Bridge of Indian Keeds, 

Aquatic Dwellings, 



(Full page) 


Page. 
615 
621 


, 


625 


(Full page) 
(Full page) 
(Full page) 


629 
633 
641 
643 


, , 


646 




649 


(Full page) 


653 
655 




659 


(Full page) 


661 
664 




666 


(Full page) 


669 
672 


(Full page) 


673 

675 


(Full page) 
(Full page) 


677 
681 
683 


(Full page) 


685 
696 



A LIST OF 

THE GROUPS AND ISLANDS 

MENTIONED IN THIS WORK. 



Andaman chain. 
Aur group. 

Tabual. 
Australasia. 
Australia. 
Tasmania. 

Albatross. 

Barren. 

Bruny. 

Chappell. 

Clarke. 

Flinders. 

Franklin. 

Hunter. 

Maria. 

Eobbins. 

Scbouten. 

Three Hummocks. 

The Needles. 

Vansittart. 

Walker. 
New Zealand. 

New Ulster. 

New Munster. 

New Leinster. 
Austral Islands. 

Oparo. 

Raivavai. 

Rututua. 

St. Elmo. 
Azores. 

Eastern cluster. 

St. Mary. 

St. Michael. 



Central clustei 

Fayal. 

Graciosa. 

Pico. 

St. George. 

Terceira. 
Western cluster. 

Cbrvo. 

Flores. 
Bahamas. 

Andros. 

Atwoods Key. 

Crooked Cay. 

Eluthera. 

Grand Bahama. 

Great Albaco. 

Great Exuma. 

Great Inagua. 

Harbor Island. 

Hog Island. 

Little Abaco. 

Little Inagua. 

Long Island. 

New Providence. 

Rum Cay. 

San Salvador or Cat Island. 

Spanish Wells. 

Turks Island. 

Watling Island or Guana- 
hani. 
Balearic Islands. 

Majorca. 
Bashee Islands. 
Bay of Rio de Janeiro. 

(11) 



12 



LIST OF GROUPS AND ISLANDS, 



Ilha das Cobras. 
Bermudas. 

Castle. 

Coopers. 

Great Bermuda. 

Ireland Island. 

Longbird. 

Nonesuch. 

Pagets. 

St. David's. 

St. George's. 

Smiths. 

Somerset. 
Bonin Islands. 

North Island. 

Peel. 

Stapleton. 
Canary. Islands. 

Ferro. 

Fuerteventure. 

Gomera. 

Grand Canary. 

Lauzarote. 

Palma. 

Teneriffe. 
Cape Verde Islands. 
Caribbee or Windward Islands. 

Barbadoes. 

Granada. 

Martinique. 

St. Lucia. 

St. Vincent. 

Tobago. 

Trinidad. 
Caroline Islands. 
Evalouk group. 
Kusaie. 
Lukunor. 
Mackenzie group. 
Matelotus group. 
Mortlock Islands. 
Namalouk. 
Nougoura group. 
Oulleai group. 
Pelew Islands. 

Angaur. 



Babelthuap. 

Corror. 

Ewakong. 

Keil. 

Malakau. 

Pelewlew. 

Uruktapel. 
Palaos group. 
Pingelap. 
Ponape. 

Ruk or Hogolu. 
Uap or Pillula Rap. 
Yap. 
Chagos group. 
Clipperton or Sandwich Islands. 

Clipperton. 
Cocos or Keeling Islands. 
Compton Rocks. 
De Peyster group. 

Nukufetau. 

Oaitupa. 
Elice or EUice Islands. 

Fanafutaor Elice's. 
Falkland Islands. 

Eagle. 

East Falkland. 

Grand Swan. 

Keppel. 

Lively. 

Pebble. 

Saunders. 

Weddell. 
. West Falkland. 
. , Fiji Islands. 

Leeward group. 

Bau. 

Gau or Ngau. 

Kadavu. 

Moala. 

Ovalau. 

Taviuni or Somosomo. 

Vanua Levu. 

Viti Levu. 
Windward group. 

Batiki. 

Lakemba. 



LIST OF GROUPS AND ISLANDS. 



13 



Rewa. 
Galapagos Islands. 

Abingdon. 

Albemarle. 

Barrington. 

Charles. 

Chatham, 

Hood's. 

Indefatigable. 

James. 

Narborough. 

Tower. 

Wenman. 
Gilbert Islands. 

Northern group. 

Apaiang. 

Butaritari. 

Maiana or Hall's. 

Makin or Pitt. 

Marakei or Matthew's. 

Tarawa or Knox's. 
Kingsmill group. 

Apamama. 

Byron. 

Drummond or Taputeouea. 

Koria. 

Maneba. 

Manouki. 

Nanouki. 

Sydenham. 
Great Britain. 
Greater Antilles. 

Cuba. 

Hayti or San Domingo. 

Jamaica. 

Puerto Rico. 

St. Croix. 
Greenwich group — 30 low coral 

islands. 
Hawaiian Islands. 

Hawaii. 

Kahoolawe. 

Kauai. 

Lania. 

Maui. 

Melokini. 



Molokai. 
Niihau. 
Oahu. 
Hervey or Cook's Islands. 
Aitutaki. 
Anota. 
Hull. 



jaia. 
Manki. 
Manual. 
Mitiero. 
Raratonga. 
Remitera. 
Takutea. 
Hoapin su, 
Indian Archipelago. 
Baly. 
Borneo. 
Celebes. 
Flores. 
Java, 
Lomblue. 
Lombok. 
Madura. 
Singapore. 
Sumatra. 

Banca. 

Engano. 

Poggi Islands. 

Pulo Babi or Hog Island. 

Pulo Nias. 

Rupat. 

Sibiru. 

Sipora. 
Sumba. 
Sumbawa. 
Timor. 



Juan Fernandez. 

Juan Fernandez or 
Terra. 

Mas-a-Fuera. 

Santa Clara. 
Keeling or Cocos Islands, 
Lacardive Islands. 
Ladrones. 



14 



LIST OF GROUPS AND ISLANDS. 



Aguijan. 
Asuncion. 
Bird Islands. 
Guaru. 
Pagon. 
Rota. 
Saypou. 
Tinian. 
• Leeward Islands. 
Loo Choo. 
Loyalty Islands. 
Madeira Islands. 
Desertas. 
Madeira. 
Porto Santo. 
Madjico Sima Islands, 
Maldive Archipelago. 
Marquesas Islands. 
Northern cluster. 
Fatunhu. 

Nukahiva or Madison. 
Shotomiti or Franklin. 
Uahuga or Washington. 
TJapoa or Adams. 
Southern cluster. 
Fatuhiva or Magdalena. 
Hiwaoa or Dominican. 
Motaue. 
Tohuata. 
Marshall Islands. 
Radack chain. 
Ralick chain. 
Ebon. 

Mulgrave Islands. 
Odia. 
Otdia. 
Molucca or Spice Islands. 
Ceram group. 
Ambojma. 
Banda Isles. 
Booro. 
Ceram. 
Gilolo group. 
Batchian. 
Gilolo. 
Makiau. 



Mandioly. 
Morty. 
Mortir. 
Oby. 
Ternate. 
Tidore. 
Arms. 
Kei Isles. 
Timor Laut. 
New Caledonia. 

New Caledonia. 
Isle of Pines or Kunie. 
Walpole. 
New Hebrides. 
Ambrim. 
Annatom, 

Aurora (disappeared). 
Banks. 
Erromango. 
Espiritu Santo. 
Mallicollo. 
Tanna. 

Vate or Sandwich. 
Whitsuntide. 
Nicobar Islands. 
Orinoco, Delta of the 
Papuian Islands. 

Admiralty group. 
Admiralty or Basco. 
Matthias. 
Dampier's group. 
Louisiade Archipelago. 
New Britain. 
New Ireland. 

Hanover. 
Papua. 
Jobie. 
Mysory. 
Salawaty. 
Waygion. 
Paumotou. 

Anaa or Chain Island. 
Aratica or Carlshotf. 
Arutua or Rurick Islands. 
Clermont de Tounerre or 
Mnerva, 



LIST OF GROUPS AND ISLANDS. 



15 



Disappointment group. 

Otoolio. 

Wytooliee. 
Glouchester group. 
Hau or Bow Island. 
Plouden, Hdnuake, or Dog 

Island. 
Katiu or Sacken. 
Kawahe or Vincennes. 
King George's group. 

Ahii or Peacock. 

Manhii. 

Oura. 

Tiokea. 
Kings Island. 
Krusenstein's. 
Makima. 

Manga Rever or Gambler Is- 
lands. 
Metia or Aurora. 
Nairsa or Dean's. 
Pitcairn. 
Raraka. 
Serle Island. 
Tetuaroa. 
Philippine Islands. 

Bohol. 

Cebu. 

Leyte. 

Luzon. 

Mindanas. 

Mindoro. ^ 

Negros. 

Panay. 

Samar. 
Phoenix Islands. 

Arthur. 

Enderhy's. 

Hull. 

McKean. 

Phoenix. 

Sidney. 
Queen Charlotte's or Santa Cruz 
Islands. 

Santa Cruz, 

Yanikora or Recherche. 



Saint Felix Islands. 

Ambrosia. 

St. Felix. 
Samoa or Navigators Islands. 

Anuu. 

Apolima. 

Manua. 

Manono. 

Ofee. 

Oloosinga. 

Savaii. 

Tutuila. 

TJpolu. 
Islets (uninhabited). 

Namoa. 

Niulapo. 

Nutali. 

Nuulua. 

Rose. 

Taputapu. 
Scilly Islands. 
Seychelle group. 
Solomon Islands. 

Bougainville. 

Choiseul. 

Guadalcanar. 

Malayta. 

New Georgia. 

San Cristoval. 

Santa Isabella. 
Sooloo Archipelago. 
Tahiti or Society Islands. 
Tahitian cluster. 

Eimeo or Moorea. 

Maiaoiti. 

Maitia. 

Tahiti. 

Tetuaroa. 
i> Society cluster. 

Borobora. 

Huahine. 

Marua or Maupiti. 

Otaha or Tahaa. 

Raiatea. 

Tubal. 
Taiysu group. 



16 



LIST OF GUOUPS AND ISLANDS. 



Terra del Fuego and Vicinity. 

Cape Horn. 

Clarence. 

Dawson. 

Desolation. 

Narborough. 

St. Inez. 

Statenland. 

Terra del Fuego. 

WoUaston. 
1/ Tonga Islands. 

Tonga cluster. 

Eooa. 

Tonga. 
Harpi cluster. 

Haano. 

Lefooga. 

Tefooa. 
Vavao cluster. 

Hoonga. 

Vavao. 
]/ Union group. 

Bowditch. or Duke of Clar- 
ence. 

Fakaafo. 

Gente Hermosa or Swain's. 

Nukunono. 

Oatafu or Duke of York. 
West Indies (see subordinate 
groups). 

'single islands. 

Ady. 

American Island. 
Amoy. 
Ann Ete. 
. Baker's. 

- Biunie's. 

- Bird Island. 
Bourbon or Reunion. 
Candu. 

Ceylon. 

Cocos. 

Cornwallis. 



Cumana. 

Cyprus. 

Dawson (north of Marshall's) 

Duncan. 

Egmont. 

Formosa. 

Gallego. 

Greenwich. 

Hong-Kong. 

Howlands. 

Iceland. 

Ireland. 

Jarvis (south of the Herveys). 

Jervis (near equator). 

Johnston. 

Lisboa. 

Madagascar. 

Maldens.--^^ 

Malta. 

Mallon. 

Mary's Island. 

Massachusetts. 

Mauritius or Isle of France. 

Metia. 

Newfoundland. 

Nine or Savage Island. 

Ocean Island. 

Palmyra. 

Ponynipete. 

Quiros. 

Reunion or Bourbon. 

Rodrique. 

Rose Island. 

St. Brandon. 

St. Helena. 

St. Paul's (Atlantic). 

St. Paul's (Pacific). 

St. Pedro. 

San Lorenzo. 

Savage Isle or Nine. 

Sicily. 

Solitary Isle. 

Tracy's or Oaitupu. 

Tromeliu. 

Wilson Island. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

AN EMBARRASSING WILL. 

The Pierpont Homestead — The "Green," the pride and boast of 
the University town — The brothers — Their conversation in the 
library — A perplexing question — An interruption — Warren 
Worthington — The proposed munificent gift to the University 

— The conditions — The wanderer — Truman Pierpont's Will. 35 

CHAPTER II. 

THE QUESTION SOLVED. 

Professor Ezekiel Singleton — His pet theory — His solution of 
the perplexing question — A magnificent offer, and an agreeable 
condition — The Albatross — Captain James Bradford and his 
first officer, Jasper Morgan — A pleasant visit on board the 
floating palace — An interview with the owner of the Albatross 

— A sensation in' the University world — Aunt Grace envious 

— The young divinity student and his sisters 42 

CHAPTER III. 
THE BERMUDAS. 

Getting under way — Misery of the first days at sea — The cap- 
tain decides to call at Bermuda — The Professor opens his stores 
of knowledge — Islands named in honor of their discoverer, 
Juan Bermudez — Visited by Gonzales Oviedo — Bermudez at- 
tempts to stock them with hogs — Prevented — The groups 
never seen by Columbus — Their situation and formation — 
Coral reefs — First settlements —-Wreck of the Sea Adventure — 
Building of the Deliverance, and the 'Patience — The commemo- 
rative cross — Sir George Somers's return to the islands — His 
untimely death — Panic-stricken colonists abandon the settle- 
ment — New attempts to colonize the islands — Search for am- 

cm 



18 CONTENTS. 

bergris — Virginia Companj''s charter extended by King James I. 
to embrace Bermuda — Islands sold to the London Company — 
Governor Moor's administration — Scarcity and want — Pota- 
toes and tobacco first cultivated — Islands divided into tribes 
and shares — Governor Moor recalled — Governor Tucker ap- 
pointed — An important ei'a — A Frenchman hanged — Discon- 
tent and desertion — The first slaves — The slave trade — The 
first General Assembly. 48 

CHAPTER lY. 
THE BERMUDAS — Continued. 

The climate of Bermuda — A quotation from Tom Moore — The 
influence of the Gulf Stream on the climate — Rain and fog — 
Effect of the climate on agricultural produce — The most agree- 
able season of the year — Winds — Form of government — Popu- 
lation — Party spirit — Fish and fishing — The most esteemed 
fish — Their brilliant colors — Peculiar fashion of baiting a hook 

— A " full bait " — The fisherman taking it easy — Some curi- 
ous fish — Description of Bermuda — The number of islands — 
Names of the more important — Eight "tribes". — Hamilton 
and its general aspect — The stores — The dwellings in the sub- 
urbs — The heights beyond the town — Mount Longton — The 
Government House — Public buildings — "Land, hoi" . . 59 

CHAPTER Y. 

THE BERMUDAS — Concluded. THE BAHAMAS. 

Innumerable isles and islets — A scene of rare and wondrous 
beauty — The harbor of Hamilton — The signal flag — A multi- 
tudinous welcome — Front street — First impressions — "No 
hackmen about " — The Hamilton Hotel — St. George — A fine 
harbor — Narrow streets — A delightfully insane old place — 
The ocean drive — Harrington sound — The Devil's Hole — 
Plenty of fish — Farewell to Bermuda — The run to the Baha- 
mas — The island of New Providence — Nassau — The North- 
ener's affection for the "honest town" — The number of the 
Bahamas — The more important — Their area — Population — 
Products — Climate — Government — Guanahani or Cat Island 

— The Aborigines — Their treatment by the Spaniards — Strug- 
gle between Spain and England for the possession of the group 

— Coming to anchor — A natural breakwater — A safe harbor 

— The sail to the town — Streets of Nassau — Poor taste of the 



CONTENTS. 19 

citizens — The Royal Victoria Hotel — A grand excursion — Re- 
turn to Nassau — The Government House — Statue of Colum- 
bus — The silk-cotton tree — Negroes — Their employment — 
The public library — Pirates — American tories — Nassau dur- 
ing the Rebellion — England made to pay — A case of special 
providence — The sponge yard — Hopetown, the home of the 
descendants of the buccaneers — The Greater Antilles — The 
Windward Islands — The Leeward Islands — Is Guanahani, or 
"Watling's Island, the true San Salvador ? — The professor wants 
time to decide. .......... 71 

CHAPTER VI. 

MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

Course laid for the Lesser Antilles — Martinique — The isle of 
romance — Wild and savage scenery — Origin — Mont Pelee — 
Earthquakes — Area — Productiveness-^ Climate — Population 

— Trade controlled by France — Government — Railway — 
Island discovered by Columbus — Beautiful St. Pierre — The view 
from the sea — Canals in the streets — A negro's gift — A strange 
freak — A fountain that discharges wine and fish — An extra- ' 
ordinary sight — The Jarden des Plants — The dreaded "iron 
lance " — The mango d'or — The old jail — A corpse wills prop- 
erty to the city — Shrewd officials — Honest people — Strange 
customs — High-toned society — Fort de France — Statue of the 
Empress Josephine — Trois Isles — Traditions — Aimee Dubuc 
de Rivery — Her romantic story — A slave and a sultana — The 
Obeah superstition — Barbadoes — Its importance — Situation 

— Climate — Productiveness — Mont Hillaby — Area — Popula- 
tion denser than any country but Malta — Rapid increase of the 
blacks — White population at a stand-still — Petroleum — Car- 
lisle Bay— Coral reefs — Fearful hurricanes — Bridgeto:wn — 
King James's gift — Jamestown — Government — Discovery of 
the island — When first settled — Plots to seize the island — Off 
for Rio de Janeiro— Plans for the future — The prof essor takes 
to his studies, and the brothers to books and charts — At the 
entrance to the Bay of Rio. 87 

CHAPTER YII. 
RIO DE JANEIRO — THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 

The Bay of Rio — Fleets from all nations — Food for reflection 
for Americans — One of the finest harbors in the world — United 
States Minister — Letters from home — Important news — City 



20 CONTENTS. 

of Rio de Janeiro — Fine streets — Public buildings — The 
Imperial Library — The sea wall — Dry docks — Avenue of 
Palms — Commerce — Population — Off for the Strait of Magel- 
lan — The Falkland Islands — Their number — Bays, inlets, 
and rivers — Climate — No trees — Products — The warrah or 
wolf fox — Wild animals — Stanley, the only settlement — The 
discoverer — Darwin's opinion — Trouble with the United 
States — Killing wild cattle — Came con cuero — Fuel — Start- 
ing a fire — "Dinner is ready." 103 

CHAPTER VIII. 

STRAIT OF MAGELLAN AND TERPtA DEL FUEGO — JUAN 
FERNANDEZ. 

The voyage down the South American coast — At the head of the 
s;rait — The passage invaluable for steamers — Its length — 
Fish and game^ — Grand and gloomy scenery — Terra del Fuego 
The Fuegians — Naked and miserable — A feast of whale blub- 
ber — Eating their old women — The peninsula of Brunswick 

— Dawson Island — Clarence Island — Mount Taru — Port 
Famine — Cape Froward — Mount Sarmiento — Cape Horn — 
Desolation Island — Trading posts — Cape Tamar — The Nar- 
borough Islands — Cape Pilares — The Pacific Ocean — Juan 
Fernandez — Size — Santa Clara — Mas-a-Fucra — Origin of the 
islands — El Yanque — Picturesque appearance of Juan Fer- 
nandez — Cumberland Bay — The settlement — Goats — The 
buccaneers — ^^Vild hogs — Fruit, vegetables, and poultry — Wild 
horses and asses — Horned cattle and sheep — No reptiles — 
Robinson Crusoe's cave — Alexander Selkirk's story — His 
lookout — The tablet — Selkirk not the first man left alone on 
the island — Returning to the settlement — Replenishing the 
yacht's larder — Farewell to Robiuson Crusoe's island — St. 
Felix and Ambrosia — San Lorenzo — Callao — Visit to the 
United States consul — Stephen Wayland — Tidings of Ljnnan 
Pierpont — Parting from new friends — Off for the Galapagos 
Islands 119 

CHAPTER IX. 

, THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 

Once more on the quarter-deck — The Galapagos — Owned by 
Ecquador — Discovered by the Spaniards — The name — Alber- 
marle — The other islands — All volcanic — No active volcanoes 

— Craters seen in action — Recent formation of the group — 



CONTENTS. 21 

Some islands formed later than others — Climate Effects of the 
Peruvian current — Curious phen,0raenon — Droughts — Inhab- 
itants — Floriana — Loss of tradfe — The cause — Animal and 
vegetable forms peculiar to the islands — Problem presented — 
Domestic animals — Birds — Their extreme tameness — Curious 
reptiles — The land tortoises — Their great size — Lizards — 
The only marine saurian of our epoch — Porter's description of 
the great land tortoise — Eugene's disgust — Charles Island — 
The governor — Fresh tidings of Lyman Pierpout — The turtle 
pen — The conference — The decision — Visit to the settlement 

— Sweet potatoes and bananas — ^igs and goats — The gov- 
ernor's lament — Return to the yacht — The professor's delight 

— Snakes — Few insects — Shells — No coral reefs — Remarka- 
ble vegetation — Turtle soup and turtle steaks — No signs of 
i\ie Rover — Chatham Island — The brothers meet several mon- 
ster tortoises — Eugene's queer ride — His fall — Indefatigable 
and Albermarle Islands — Great Amblyrhynchus — The two 
species — A fruitless search — Return to Charles Island — News 
of the Rover — The governor made happy — The start for Nu- 
kahiva — Eugene eats land tortoise and likes it. ... 137 

CHAPTER X. 
THE BROAD PACIFIC — THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

Eugene studies the chart of the Pacific — Course of the Albatross 

— Three islands : Gallego, Duncan, and Clipperton — A vast 
expanse of ocean — St. Paul's Island — The captain's promise 

— The Marquesas — Their situation — Two clusters — Their 
number — Population — Names — Formation — General descrip- 
tion — Climate — Rainy season — Droughts — Vegetation — Fauna 

— Birds — Mussels — The people — Are they a branch of the 
Caucasian race ? — Their appearance — Size and strength of the 
men — Artificial complexion of the women — Tattooing — So- 
cial organization — The taboo — The privileged classes — Poly- 
andry — Conjugal affection — Cannibalism — Kava — Its bad 
effects — Healthf ulness of the people — Most prevalent diseases — 
Dress — Houses — Regard for the dead — No history — Posses- 
sion claimed bj^ France — Chester finds a bit of history — A 
profusion of names — A beautiful picture — Commodore Vov-y 
ter's story — Uahuga — Naked natives — Trading — Value of 
iron hoops — Surprise at first sight of large animals — The Gal- 
apagos tortoise — Old men compared to highly wrought old 
mahogany — Professional tattooers — Beautiful girls — Their 
modesty — "Sail ho!" 153 



22 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XI. 
NUKAHIVA— A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 

Again on the quarter deck — Porter's story continued — Reaches 
Nukaliiva — Massacliusetts Bay — Joined by tlie Essex Junior 

— Tliree white men come aboard — An Englishman turned 
Polynesian — Appointed interpreter — Porter lands with marines 
and sailors — Natives' pleasure at the sound of drums — Aston- 
ishment at the regular movements of the men — Effect of the 
sound of fire-arms — War between the tribes — Destroying 
property and bread-fruit trees — Convenient messengers — The 
Happahs warned — An understanding with the Tayehs — The 
princess Piteenee — The chief Gattanewa — Manner of fortify- 
ing a place — The women take possession of the boats and ship 

— Bedlam — The object of the greatest value in the ]\Iarquesas 
group — Astonishing statement — Sandal- wood — Its value — 
Gattanewa visits the Essex — His appearance — A victim to Kava 

— Not impressed by Porter's force — Roused from his lethargy 
by the sight of a whale's tooth — Receives one as a present — 
Porter exchanges names with him — Begs the Commodore's assist- 
ance in his war with the Happahs — His sophistry — The Com- 
modore takes up his quarters on shore — The Happahs' insult- 
ing message — The six-pounder — The Tayehs hug and caress 
the gun for joy — Work on the ship — Mouina the war chief 

— His satisfaction at the effects of musketry — The Happah's 
still bent on war — A force ordered against them — The battle 
in the mountains — Capture of the fortress — The dead Happahs 

— Gattanewa's astonishment — The taboo — Cannibalism — Gat- 
tanewa's wife — Terrified women — Porter re-assures them — 
He receives a remarkable piece of information. . . . 169 

CPIAPTER XII. 

THE VALLEY OF TIEUHOY — THE TYPEES. 

The story resumed — Rejoicing over the victory — Eating raw fish 

— Langiuige of the Marquesans — A tradition — Inability to 
pronounce English names — Cocoanut trees — Gathering the 
fruit — Taro — Sugar-cane — More about Kava — The bread-fruit 
tree — Its \ises and importance — Treaty with the Happahs and 
other tribes — They build a village for Porter — He and his men 
live in plenty — The Typees and their allies — Their defiance — 
War resolved on — Porter builds a fort — Takes possession of 
the island for the United States and calls it Madison Island — 



CONTENTS. 23 

Gives names to important points — An excursion — A village — 
Tlie public square — Women and young girls — Their appear- 
ance — Remarkable complexion and great beauty — Their atten- 
tions to the guests — Urged to remain — Songs and dances — 
The return to the ship — Ready for war — The departure for 
the valley of Vieehee or Oomi — Arrival — The Typees and their 
allies in force — The landing and advance — Skirmishing — 
Lieutenant Downes wounded — The Typees make a bold stand 
— Serious obstructions — A grave situation — A feint — A slight 
advantage — The retreat — The Typees elated — The Commo- 
dore resolves on a new line of action — The night march — On 
the mountain tops — Rain — An anxious night — Daylight. . 185 



CHAPTER XIII. 
THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

A volley from the mountain top — Astonishment of the Typees 

— The Happah village — Suspicious actions of the Happahs — 
Summary measures — Friendship reestablished — Taking up the 
line of march — The beautiful valley as seen from the mount- 
ain — A delightful scene — The descent — Meeting the enemy 

— A village captured — More fighting — A brave people — 
Burning villages — The capital taken and destroyed — The 
march down the valley — Plunder — Skirmishing — Wonderful 
fortresses — At the beach — Tribes send in their submission — 
Returning to the Happah village — A friendly reception — Gat- 
tanewa's emotion — Another view of the valley — A long line 
of smoking ruins — Desolation and horror — Return to the 
valley of Tieuhoy — The Typees come to terms — A profusion 
of presents — Peace established throughout the island — Excur- 
sions. — Distributing seeds — Partiality for wheat — Other gifts 
^ Chief place of worship — An astonishing god — Marquesans 
idea of a future state — Selling their gods and the bones of their 
relatives — Children in religion — Porter tabooed — Tattooing 

— Each tribe tattooed after a different fashion — Preparing for 
sea — Stooping liberty — Discontent of the men — Grief of the 
girls — Porter sails with two ships — A part of his force left 
behind — What happened after he left — His defeat — His recep- 
tion at home — " The Hero of the Pacific." .... 206 



24 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XIY. 

UAHUGA — NUKAHIVA. 

The professor finds many corroborations of Porter's statements — 
The Vincennes' visit to the group — Uahuga — Description — 
Sudden appearance of the natives — Their excitement — A scene 
of wild and picturesque beauty — Invitations to land — Music 
by tlie band — Its wonderful effects on the islanders — The ap- 
proach to Nukahiva — Tower Bluff — Bay and valley of Oomi, 
the home of the Typees — A visit from the Happahs — At war 
with the Typees, as usual — The new-comers invited to espouse 
their cause — Valley of Tieuhoy — Its great beauty — Grandeur 
of the mountain scenery — Site of Porter's encampment — 
Swarms of natives — Arrival of the chieftains — Prince Moana 
— The regent Haape — The chief Piaroro — His striking appear- 
ance — "Music hath charms" — The Captain's taboo — Sur- 
prised women — A strange ship — The regent's house — Habita- 
tions of the people — Their bleached thatching — Its remarkable 
appearance — The wife of Haape — His female relatives — The 
bed of the whole f amity — Other f uruit ure — Eager for presents — 
An excursion — A profusion of useful trees — A tahva or am- 
phitheat'-e — A vieae or temple — The chaplain followed by ad- 
miring crowds — Effects of the taboo on the women and common 
people — Tabooed food — The tabooed class jealous of their 
dignity — Strange cause for deadly vengeance — Nice distinc- 
tions -. .227 



CHAPTER XY. 

THE MARQUESANS: THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

The Tahtias — Dancing and the dancers — Strange customs — A 
scene such as Cook beheld — Gracefulness and taste of the na- 
tives — The favorite hue — Turbans — Dress of the females — 
Their beauty — Their wonderful complexion — Drums — Male 
singers — A Marquesan Adonis — His dress — Boy dancers — 
Their strange dress — Female singers — Koika — Passion of the 
people for amusements — Kaioi — The chaplain retires from the 
tahua in disgust — Pure heathenism — Traditions — Origin of 
the islands — Origin of men and fish — Knowledge of other isl- 
ands — Introduction of the cocoanut tree — Americans and Eu- 
ropeans regarded as gods — Porter a very great god — Not a 
trace of his occupation to be found — Visit to the Typees — 



CONTENTS. 25 

Suspicious of tlie strangers — The cause — Messenger of peace 

— Good feelings established — "The chief of the gods'' — His 
compeer in civil life — A false rumor — Good advice: Cultivate 
the art of peace — ' ' With Opotee it was all fight " — An inter- 
esting scene — Confidence of the Typees won — They sleep on. 
board the ship — A visit on shore — Much ceremony — The 
Tana's house — Fair promises — A meae — A doubled-f ace god 

— A study for an artist — Another interesting scene — A walk 
inland — Manifestations of ill will — Flight to the shore — A 
mj^stery — The Bay of Oomi — Valley of Hakapoa — Visit to 
Tanatini, the prophet of the Happahs — Sail ho ! — "It is a 
schooner, and American built ! " 245 



CHAPTER XYI. 

CORALS — ATOLLS. 

The chase — The Columbia — News of iheEover — Good advice — 
Uahuga in sight — The Bay of Tieuhoy again — Natives and 
Frenchmen — Mr. Clark — A week on the island — Few signs 
of advancement among the natives — The lack of progress due 
to the French — Influence of American missionaries for good — 
The United States and England to blame for having suffered 
France to gain such a foothold in the Pacific — Among the Ty- 
pees — Startling news from the yacht — The hasty return — 
Flight of the Bover — The pursuit — Among the Marquesans — 
The truth flashes on Eugene — A perfidious Frenchman — Head- 
ing for the Paumotous — Corals — Many species — Variety of 
forms and hues — ' ' Nothing but limestone" — 1 he red coral of the 
Mediterranean and Red seas — Black coral — Millei^ora- — Fer- 
nante Imperato — Peysonnel — Coral blossoms belong to the 
animal, and not the vegetable kingdom — A zoothome — A 
polyp — Coral the stony frame of the polyps — How the 
polj^ps are reproduced — Brain coral — Star coral — Other 
varieties — In many corals the living portion is but a thin outer 
part of the mass — Corals widely distributed — Limits of coral 
reefs — Range in depth of reef -forming corals — Coral f o^md 
thousands of feet below the surface of the sea — Darwin's the- 
ory — Darwin supported by Dana — The bottom of the ocean 
slowly subsiding — The hint given by the Gambler Island — 
How reefs and atolls are formed — Captain Herandeenis evi- 
dence — Ponynipete Island — Evidences of a lost race- — Stone 
walls, temples, and forts sinking out of sight — An ancient 

stone quarry — Heedless of the flight of time 264 

2 



26 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XYII. 

KrSAIE — COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

Kusaie — The small island — Ancient canals — Remarkable stone 
walls — Wonderful ruins — Ignorance of the natives on the 
subject — Captain Bradford's theory — The ancient stronghold 
of pirates — A reasonable explanation — How coral islands be- 
come nearly circular and filled in — Swain's Island — Jarvis's 
Island — Dead reefs — Barrier reefs — Paumotou a vast island 
cemetery — The completed atoll — Coral -made land literally 
sea-horn — A model atoll — The inhabitants of atolls — Fakaafo 
or Bowditch Island — A type of a large part of the coral islands 

— Among the last discovered — Islanders ignorant of any other 
land or people — The whites taken for gods from the sun — 
Dread of the natives — Soon become familiar — Primitive f ash- 

■ ion of dress — The sacred house — The Deity — Oataf u or Duke 
of York's Island — The inhabitants — Their chief village — 
Houses — Quays — Duke of Clarence Island — Henuake or Dog 
Island — A fascinating description — Tame birds — Droll sights 

— Hermit or soldier crabs — Chester gets the soldier and the 
robber crab mixed — The Pr£)f essor corriects him — He appeals 

to Darwin — Acknowledges defeat. . . . . . . 384 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO, 

The French interest in Paumotou — Catholic mission at Mau- 
gareva — Population of the group — Anaa or Chain Island — Its 
dense population — How acquired — Abundance of food — In- 
fluence of the missionaries — "Out of darkness into light" — 
Distributing presents — Shaved heads — Cleanliness next to 
godliness — Fine children — The bane of the islanders — A 
comical old chief — His munificent present — Mj-sterious sick- 
ness — The chief's brother-in-law — A deep lagoon — Amusing 
leave-taking — Some islands of the group — Tetuaroa — Metia 
or Aurora — An uplifted island — Wonderful caverns — Meager 
history of the PiJumotous — Hau or Bow Island — The ambi- 
tious Tomatiti — Advance in civilization — Few advantages for 
trade — The pearl fishery — Native divers — First sight of a 
cpral island- — King George's Island — Mauhii — Ahii — Course 
laid for Tahiti 307 



CONTENTS. 27 

CHAPTER XIX. 

THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 

EUice's group — Its appearance — Size — Native name — Inhab- 
itants — De Pyster Islands — Tracy's Island — The Union group 

— The Gilbert Islands — Character of the inhabitants — Mr. 
Bingham's testimony— Gilbert Island warriors — Their weapons 
and armor — Apaiang — Reception of the first missionaries 

— "Happy Home" and its surroundings — Sailing on the 
lagoon — Preaching in the maneabas — Interrviptions — Women 
and their dead — A skull as a constant companion — Strange 
burial place — Effects of toddy — The first church — Sunday 
morning on Apaiang — Climbing cocoanut trees — The Pan- 
danus tree — Papal — Native houses — The Surf -boat — Tarawa 

— A tempest — A perilous feat — Marakei — A lovely coral isle 

— A printing press — Its good work — A Gilbert Island boy — 
His astonishment at the sight of mountains and streams — His 
ruin — The deadly effect of the climate — The Gilbert Islands 
of to-day — A grain of comfort — The southern cluster or 
Kingsmill Islands — The inhabitants — Madin or Pitt Island — 
Houses — Maneabas — AVar and weapons of war — Dress — 
Powers and privileges of the chiefs — Eating an enemy — Pre- 
serving skulls 323 

CHAPTER XX. 

THE KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 

Taputeouea or Druramond Island — The inhabitants — Great thieves 

— Sometimes eat human flesh — Weapons — Jealous women — 
Some good points — A Gilbert Island gentleman — Vegetation 
of coral islands — The cocoanut palm — Its many uses — Not 
found on coral islands never inhabited — The Pandanus — The 
Pisonia — Other trees and plants — Rose Island — Other Islands 

— Drinking water on coral islands — Wells fenced with special 
care — Curious water cavern on Ocean Island — Strange super- 
stition — Water famines — Pumpkins — A beautiful island — 
Water on the Gilbert Islands — Taro plantations — Fresh-water 
fish — Otdia — Tabual — Rain the source of water supply — 
Birds — Their fearlessness' — Their habits — Their vast numbers 
Service sometimes required of the tropic bird — Game birds — 

. Social habits of the birds — Fish — Drift logs — Stones brought 
in roots — Pumice and resin — Volcanic ashes — A coral island 



28 CONTENTS. 

a poor place for human development — Limited productions 
and poverty of language — Speculations — The one mineral — 
Earthquakes and storms — Houses secured to trees and stakes 
— Dividing a storm — Thanks. . . .... 349 



CHAPTER XXI. 

TAHITI OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

Discovery — The name of thegroup — Names of the several islands 

— Their mountainous character — Picturesqueness — Delightful 
streams — Habitations of the islanders — Climate — Fruits and 
vegetables — Botanic garden — Cotton and coffee — Natives 
averse to work — Animals — Birds ; — Domestic fowl — Origin 
of the natives — Beauty of the women — Appearance of the 
men — Population — Foreigners — Tattooing no longer prac- 
ticed — Importations and exportations — Papiete — Public build- 
ings — Harbor — Early history of Tahiti ^ — Pomare II. — Mis- 
sionaries — Queen Pomare — French Catholic priests expelled 

— Arrival of the French man-of-war — Unjust and arbitrary 
proceedings — Flight of the queen — The French firmlj' estab- 
lished — Death of the Queen — Last king of Tahiti — The an- 
nexation to France — Brilliant festival — The Areoi societj" — 
What is known of it — Original character — Belief — Pernicious 
effect on the people — Convenient fictions — Only redeeming 
point — Human sacrifices — The ceremonies 369 



CHAPTER XXH. 

TAHITI — SAVAGE ISLAND. 

First glimpse of Eimeo — Tahiti — Papiete harbor — The Ameri- 
can consul — Captain Joseph Beach — The ladies at the consulate 

— News of the Rover — The excursion party — The start — The 
maneabas or district houses — Appearance of the country — A 
glimpse of Eimeo — A lovely village — Crystalline streams — 

The village girls — Their sweet singing — Tender adieus — 

— Coffee and cotton plantations — The wild guava — Mango 
trees — Some credit due the French — A stroll in the orange 
groves — Bathing with lady assistants — A fish dinner — Cray- 
fish — A bamboo cage — The peninsula — A delightful drive — 
A ball — Arrival of the Rover — Daniel Kirby the mate — An- 
other disappointment — Nine or Savage Island — Situation — 
The Niuans — Former reputation — A terrible law — The fate 



CONTENTS. 29 

of all travelers — Paint — Appearance — Dress — Ornaments — 
Weapons — Warlike, but not conquerors — Fate of invaders — 
Not cannibals — Temperate — Polj^gamy — Work of the mis- 
sionaries — Morals — Punishments — Good sailors — Dwellings 
— Disposing of the dead — Caverns — Fresh water — Character 
of the island — Traditions — Dinner 394 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

. THE HERVY GROUP — THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

Captain Beach makes a proposition — An excursion to Eimeo — 
Wonderful beauty of the island — Tree-ferns — A tamanu grove 
Great changes — Farewell to Tahiti — The Hervy group — The 
several islands — Raratonga — The natives — The Captain's ex- 
perience — Missionaries — John Williams — His unhappy death 
The Australs — The Samoan Islands — The daughters of Sa- 
moa — Why called Navigators — The isles of the group — Area 

— Situation — Sudden appearing and disappearing of a volcano 

— Great age of the Islands — Ancient ruins — A stone quarry — 
Wonderful caverns — Remarkable springs and lakes — Quiros 
Island — Climate and vegetation — Appearance of the isles from 
the sea — Trees — The banj^an — Other trees — The paper m.ul- 
berry — Cloth making — Ava and ava drinking — Shrubs and 
flowers — Climbing ferns — Fruits and vegetables — Their abun- 
dance — Bread-fruit — Yams — Taro — Indigo — Nutmeg — Ani- 
mals — Birds — The dodo — Pigeons — Kingfisher — Vampire 
bat — Reptiles — The crowing snake 416 



CHAPTER XXIY. 

THE SAMOAN ISLAND — Continued. 

The Samoans — A high type of their race — Fine appearance of 
the men — Beauty of some of the women — Not warlike — 
Averse to labor — Not ambitious for wealth — Caste — The 
chief of Apia — Fantulia, his wife — Politeness — Women in 
time of war — The maid of the village — A virtuous peo- 
,ple — Night dances — Polygamy — Dress — Tattooing — Samoan 
Houses — Water-crafts — Bonito fishing — "Great Days," and 
taking the palolo — Language of the Samoans — Traditions — 
Discovery — La Perouse, and the tragedy near Massacre Bay — 
Effects — The martyr Williams, again — Population — Church. 



30 CONTENTS. 

relations — ' ' Fine naats " — Manue — Mammoth cocoanuts — 
Rose Island — Tutila — Pago-Pago — Its importance — Ceded 
to the United States — Nopolu — Apia — Its fine harbor — The 
white population — A glimpse of Tutuila — Island villages — 
In the harbor of Apia — Many Americans — Morris Davis — 
The U. S. consul — News from home — A tender epistle — Ger- 
many wants Samoa — The triple agreement — England growing 
suspicious — Bismarck's policy — On the track of "George 
Thompson" — Meeting with old friends — Prof. Gregory pre- 
pares to give some account of his travels 445 



CHAPTER XXV. 

AUSTPvALIA — TASMANIA. 
Australia — What is comprehended by the term — Port Philip — 
Melbourne — Fine streets — Fine public and private buildings 

— The University — Water-works — Public gardens — Railways 

— The Yarra-Yarra — Vineyards at St. Hubert's — Sj^dney — 
The colleges and university schools — Museum — Library — 
Port Jackson — An excursion — Coimtry towns — Fine roads 

— Appearance of the country — The Eucalyi^ti. — Wonderful 
groves — Peculiarities of the Eucalypti — Road through the 
gum trees — Silence of the forests — Parrots, parrakeets, and 
cockatoos — The harlequin — Bronzewing — Other birds — Ani- 
mals — The dingo — The kangaroo — Other pouched animals — 
The duck-bill — The aborigines — Their habits — Rapidlj^ dimin- 
ishing — Queensland — The bottle-tree — South Australia — Ad- 
elaide— Its beauty and prosperity — Almost ruined bj" gold — 
The botanical garden — Wool — A hairy Australian — Sheep- 
runs and cattle stations — A lonely life — Tasmania — Bass 
Strait — Area — Bays and harbors — Mountains — Rivers and 
lakes — Soil — Climate — Fruit and vegetables — Timber — -Tree- 
ferns — Minerals — Animals — Government — Population — Ad- 
jacent Islands — History — Importance of wool — Convicts — 
Aborigines — Their removal and extermination — Good-night. . 472 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

NEW ZEALAND — OTHER GROUPS AND ISLANDS. 

Still no signs of the missing relative — Visit to the shore — Seth 
left in charge of the yacht — Under the breadfruit trees — New 
Zealand — New Ulster — Wellington — Auckland —A very Eng- 



CONTENTS. 31 

lish town — Public buildings — The Museum — Maori curiosi- 
ties — Green jade tools and weapons — Carved feather-box — 
The liuia — The moa — Drinking-places in Auckland — Vari- 
ous islands of the group — Area — Mountains and volcanoes 

— Minerals — Vegetation — Animals — The missionaries' work 

— Government — The Maoris — Physical and mental qualities 

— Two faces — The dark natives — Tattooing — Affectionate 
parents — Children's games — Pahs — Their use — Wars — Sea 
fights — Girls and married women — Polj^gamy — Changes — 
Funny incidents — A picnic under the breadfruit trees — Nor- 
folk Island — The group — Area — Features of the country — 
Soil — Products — Mount Pitt — Animals— Convicts — The Pit- 
cairn Islanders — Isle of Pines — Rich soil and restless natives 

— Their habits and disposition — Use they made of firearms — 
A change for the better — Dressing the hair — Strange custom 
among the women — Their place in society — New Caledonia 

— Numea — The Paris of the Pacific — "Wonderful ruins — Can- 
nibalism — Salt water as a beverage — The women — Dress - 
Warcanoes — Weapons — The French establishment — Loyal- 
ty Islands — The New Hebrides — Erromango — The most im- 
portant islands — Port Sandwich — Disappearance of Aurora 

— Volcano — Surface of the islands — Vegetation — Fruit and 
vegetables — Animals — A diminutive pig — Natives — Customs 
and dress — The betel nut — Not navigators — Discovery : — 
Queen Charlotte's group — Vanikova — Scene of La Perouse's 
disaster — Solomon Islands — Treacherous natives — Their love 
of human flesh — Tortoise-shell — Manner of trading — Appear- 
ance — The most important of the islands — Their beauty and 
fertility — Abundance of fruit and spices — Discovery — A 
pious fraud that did not work — Mendana — His death — Tom 
Grayson appears. 509 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
PAPUA— THE MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 
The Rover in port — The party adjourn to the yacht — Under the 
awning — Tambora or New Ireland — Area — Mountains and 
forests — Harbors — Productions — Natives — A thrifty people 
— Attractive villages — Preparing dinner — Animals — Sirara 
or New Britain — Productions — Inhabitants — Louisiade arch- 
ipelago — Dampier's groups — Admiralty Islands — Papua — 
Size — Little known — The coast — Dutch possessions — Mount- 
ain ranges — Rivers — Forests — Palms — Birds of Paradise — 



32 CONTENTS. 

Many species — Birds' dancing parties — Native hunters — The 
Papuan i-ace — Native villages — Molucca Islands — Situation 

— Clusters — Volcanic — Productions — Inhabitants — The Ma- 
lay race — Disposition — History of the Spice Isles — The treach 
erous Dutch — Amboyna — Wonderful productiveness — Im 
portance to the Dutch — Trickery — Banda or Nutmeg Isles - 
Timor — Productions and inhabitants — Celebes — Its outline 
and immense sea-coast — Size and population — Animals — For- 
ests — Fruits — Eice and coffee — Gold — Inhabitants — The 
Bughis — The Manyuemas — The Mandhars — Seaports — Sun- 
da Islands — Malay villages — Java — Area — Population — Fer- 
tility — Mountain ranges — Lovely valleys — Lakes and rivers 
— Forests — Earthquakes — Products — Domestic animals — Cli- 
mate — The Dutch masters of the isle — Batavia — Its wealth 
and population — Wild game of Java — Black tigers — Rhinoc- 
eros — White eagles — Portuguese — Natives — Ruins of ancient 
temples — Mammoth bats — Reflections — An interruption — 
The Unrest — Lyman Pierpont again gives his pursuers the slip 

— Shark's-tooth gauntlet — Farevs'ell to Samoa. . . . 539 



CHAPTER XXYIII. 

TONGA — FIJI ISLANDS. 

Tonga discovered by Tasman — Visited by Cook — A misnomer 

— Number of the isles — Of coral and volcanic formation — 
Climate — Natives — Fruits and vegetables — Animals — The 
sacred isle — Captain Croker's defeat — No exports but cocoanut 
oil — Port Refuge — Fine appearance of the natives — Com- 
plexion — Beautiful women — Women "well treated — Dwellings 

— Dress — Government — Love of war — Mythology — Bulotu 

— Work of the missionaries — French Catholics — A storm — 
The Captain's apprehensions — Tonga — No Unrest — A crom- 
lech — Vavao — Port Refuge — A warm reception — The chief 
Talo — News of the Unrest — Visit to the king — Invitation to 
a shooting party — Rat shooting — Pleasant sport — Description 
of the game — A famous cavern with a submarine entrance — 
Return to the yacht — Strangers from Hapai — Disagreeable 
news — Visit from the king and his friends — Under way for Fiji 

— Number of the Fiji islands — Belong to England — Declined 
by the United States — Population — Viti Levu — Suva harbor 

— Towns — Vanua Levu — Bay of Nasavusavu — Mountains 
and streams -^ Taviuni — Great eels — Ovalau — Its beauty and 
fertility — Levuka — Its population and buildings — Bau — 



CONTENTS, 33 

Lakemba — Vegetation of Fiji — Cotton — Coffee — Fisli — Tlie 
natives — Appearance and liabits — Dress — Ear ornaments — 
Red paint and oil — Early marriages -^Strange customs — Pa- 
gans and pagan chiefs — Cannibalism — Fijian weapons — Bu- 
res or temples — Speech-making — Orators' Flappers — Supper. 580 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

Islands on every hand — Suva harbor — No signs of the Unrest — 
Bau — A week among the Fiji Islands — Course laid for the 
Hawaiian group — Maui — A great sugar plantation — 10,000 
acres of sugar-cane — Twenty miles of ditches — Thousands of 
laborers — Sugar by the ton — " Tired " natives — Imported 
labor — Population — Fine appearance of the natives — Beauty 
of the women — A vision of loveliness — Dress — Ornaments — 
Pets — Tender care for a pig — Women industrious and hospi- 
table — Fish ponds — Poi — Physical condition — Educated Ha- 
waiian ladies — Helmets — Volcanoes — Kilauea — Mauna Loa — 
Living in a state of uncertainty — A narrow escape — Honolulu 
— Climate — Waikiki — Valley of Nuuanu — Manoa — Fish mar- 
kets — Harbor of Lahaina — The Unrest in port — A visit to 
the yacht — The town — Meeting with Lyman Pierpont — His 
agreeable announcement — Departure for Honolulu — Kauai — 
Niihau — Other isles — OfE for China 611 



CHAPTBE XXX. 

MICRONESIA. 
Once more on the quarter-deck — Isolated isles — The Marshall 
group — Annexed to Germany — Result — Two clusters — Ap- 
pearance of the natives — Tattooing — Clothing — Caroline arch- 
epelago — Vast extent — High islands — Inhabitants — Of mixed 
origin — The more important isle — Bad influences — Work of 
the missionaries — Princess Opatinia — The Motlocks — Ruk — 
Great changes there — Many governments in the Carolines — 
Ponape — Yap — Oulleai — The Evalouks — The two races of 
Ruk — Nongoura — A fine race of people — Well informed — 
Their religion — Rats — Greenwich group — Inhabitants — The 
Pelew Islands — Facts concerning them — The Matelotus — The 
Mackenzie group — Canoe houses at Makira Bay — The Ladrones 
— Other groups of the same name — Bonin Islands — The Loo 
Choo group — Banyans 640 



84 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 
Groups of Chinese isles — Formosa — Mineral v/ealtli — Exports 
and imi^orts — Dutch settlements — Chinese of Formosa — Barba- 
rians of the mountains — Araoy — Its importance — Hong-Kong 
— The Philippines — History — Typhoons — Borneo — Great size 

— Physical features — High mountains — Climate and produc- 
tions — The wonderful pitclier plant — Durions — Sarawak — 
Inhabitants — Chinese — Malays — The Dyaks — Land Dyaks — 
Sea Dyaks — Head-hunters — Fine looking men — Beautiful wom- 
en — Young Dyak girls — Old at thirty — Architecture — ADyak . 
village — Sumatra — Picturesque villages — Homes in trees — 
Bamboo houses — The Dutch — Volcanic mountains — Great 
plains — Wild animals — Birds and insects — Productions — Min- 
erals — Gold and precious stones — Rivers — Floating villages 

— Floating houses on the Jambi — The aborigines — • ]\Ialays — 
Other races — Few Europeans — Dutch wisdom — Tree ferns — 
Indian reeds — Bridges of reeds — Native rulers — Singapore — 
The island — Size — Physical features — Productions — Magnifi- 
cent climate — Tigers and Chinamen — Population — The city 

— Chinese quarter — Public buildings — Malay quarter — Pearl 
Hill — Government house — The suburbs — Drives — Botanical 
garden — Immense commerce — Strait of Malacca — Course laid 
for Cape of Good Hope — History of Singapore — Purchase of 
the island by Great Britain — Groups and islands of the Indian 
Ocean — Ceylon — Its great importance — Physical features — 
Adam's Peak — Last trace of Buddha on earth — Animals — Ele- 
phants — History — Population — Mauritius — The scene of St. 
Pierre's "Paul and Virginia" — Beauty of the isle — Bold and 
grand mountain outlines — Its relations to Reunion — Products 

— Exports — Population — Races — History — Madagascar — The 
late war with. France — Results — Beautiful appearance of the 
island — Wonderful vegetation — Curious plants — Immense 
forests — Cape Town — Table Bay — Attractions of the city — 
Botanical garden — Public buildings — Canals — Table Moun- 
tain — The yacht's head turned homeward — St. Helena — As- 
cension Island — St. Paul — Cape Verdes — The Canaries — Ma- 
deira Islands — The Azores — Off the Caribbces — Isles of the 
delta of the Oronoco — Aquatic dwellings — Their inhabitants 

— The voyage home — In the harbor of the university town — 
Friends flock to the yacht — Gracie Richards — IMiss Kilborne 
— Words of praise from Warren Worthington and the president 

— Eugene's apt reply — Finis 663 



THE ISLES OF THE SEA. 



CHAPTER I. 

AN EMBARRASSING WILL. 

A LARGE frame house, of a somewhat antiquated 
style of architecture, fronting on a neatly-kept 
public square, — the "green," as it was called, — the 
pride and boast of the university town. In this house a 
pleasant room, with a window opening to the south and 
commanding a fine view of the green ; and on the east 
side, and projecting into a garden, a deep bay, which 
contained an arm-chair, a book-rest, and a globe. 

This room was the library — not only in name but 
in fact, as the hundreds of tomes which lined its walls 
sufficiently attested. 

In the center of the apartment was a table, on which 
was spread an official map of Polynesia ; and Ijending 
over the table, and carefully following the tracks of cer- 
tain famous navigators, as laid down on the chart, were 
two young men, evidently brothers. 

" Well, Eugene," said the elder, presently looking up, 
while the point of the pencil he held rested on one of 
the Hawaiian group of islands, " I don't see but that our 
best plan will be to go directly to Kanai after all ; and 
we can be guided afterwards by the information we 
obtain there." 

" Then you really think we shall be able to learn some- 
thing at Kanai, Chester ? " asked the younger. 



36 AN EMBARP.ASSIXG WILL. 

" Undoubtedly," was the reply. " Uncle Lyman, from 
all accounts, was a man to Ije remembered ; and even if 
he has been o-one from the island "for years, more than 
one of the natives will be able to tell us something about 
him. And then, for anything we know, he may be there 
still." 

" That's hardly likely," said Eugene, with an emphatic 
shake of the head ; " if he were there, we should have 
heard from him in some way before this." 

" I don't see as that necessarily follows," rejoined his 
brother. 

" Wouldn't he have answered some of our letters — 
and on such an important subject, too ? " 

" I'm not at all sure that he would." 

" He used to write to father sometimes ; and to Uncle 
Timothy," said Eugene. 

" Yes," replied Chester ; " but father had not received 
a letter from him for some time before his death, and it 
is years since he has written to Uncle Timothy." 

" Still," persisted Eugene, " I must believe he would 
answer Aunt Grace's urgent letters, and you know Uncle 
Timothy, and even Uncle Richards have written him 
about this matter." 

" Yes, I know ; but he never liked his sister Grace 
very well, and for that reason is iiot likely to pay any 
attention to her letters or those of her husband." 

" But Uncle Timothy, he always liked him ? " 

" True ; but he would see that by obliging him he 
would at the same time be obliging Aunt Grace, and 
perhaps he has good reasons for not wishing to do that." 
■ " But he ought not to spite us, we never did him any 
harm," exclaimed Eugene, almost indignantly. 

" Of course not," smiled his brother ; " but what interest 
can he feel in us, never having seen us ? " 

" We are our father's sons, and our father was always 
his best friend." 



AN EMBARRASSING WILL. 37 

" You are right, Eugene ; but for all that, I am inclined 
to believe Lyman Pierpont may still be on the island of 
Kanai." 

" How do you expect to get there, Chester ? " asked the 
younger, after a moment's pause. 

" Nothing easier," was the reply. "-Take the rail to 
San Francisco, then the steamer to Honolulu. From 
thence it is not more than one hundred and fifty miles 
to Waimea, in Kanai, and we shall find sailing vessels 
making the trip every few days." 

" Ah ! but if we don't find him there, nor any traces of 
him, what then ? " 

"Hum, we shall have to look for him elsewhere, I 
suppose. He's somewhere among all these islands, of 
that I am confident," and with a comprehensive gesture, 
he indicated the several groups that go to make up what 
is known as Polynesia. 

" There is little doubt of that, I think — if he 's alive," 
said Eugene. 

" Of course, if he 's alive. But if he 's dead we can 
obtain proof of the fact, and that will be quite as satis- 
factory to Mr. Worthington and to the college." 

" But if he married, and has left a widow and children ?" 

" Then, if it was such a marriage as would hold good 
in our courts, they must sign the deed." 

" But, Chester, how are we to get around among all 
these islands, — provided, of course," it should prove 
necessary to do so ? " 

"There'll be no great trouble in visiting all of the 
Hawaiian group." 

"Of course not; and the others ? " 

" That would be more difficult. We should be obliged 
to trust to chance vessels — whalers and the like." 

" In that case, it might take years to find out what we 
want to know, and Mr. Worthington would not be willing 
to submit to any such delay." 



38 AN EMBAERASSING WILL. 

" You are right, Eugene ; but I don't see — " 

At that moment there was a ring at the front-door 
bell, and a little later Professor Ezekiel Singleton was 
announced, and shown into the room. 

Warren Worthington, the person mentioned by the 
brothers in the conversation just related, was a man 
somewhat advanced in life, having just entered his sixty- 
seventh year. He had made an immense fortune in 
mining operations, on the Pacific coast; and having 
settled up his business affairs, had come East to spend 
the evening of life, and to carry out a long-cherished 
plan — to found in his native State some institution, 
which should not only prove a blessing to his fellow- 
men, but at the same time serve to perpetuate his own 
memory. 

He established himself in the university town — his 
native place — and soon the needs of the ancient college 
engaged his attention. After giving the matter due con- 
sideration, he announced that, on certain conditions, he 
would give 11,500,000 to establish a post-graduate depart- 
ment, — something the president and fellows had very 
much at heart. 

The conditions he named were these : that a certain 
plot of ground, contiguous to the land already owned by 
the college, and occupying a little more than half a 
square, should be secured, and the title to every inch of 
it be pronounced perfect by three leading members of the 
county bar ; that the buildings to be erected on this plot 
should be after plans and elevations which had received 
his unqualified approval ; and finally, that the new depart- 
ment should receive his name. 

So far as it could do so, the corporation accepted the 
conditions ; but just here came the first great difficulty : 
The plot of ground designated by Mr. Worthington 
belonged to the heirs of Trueman Pierpont, who had 



AN EMBARRASSING WILL. 39 

owned the whole Ijlock, the property having come to him 
by direct inheritance from his great ancestor, Noah Pier- 
pont, the friend and associate of Davenport, who, with 
his little company, had first settled the place. He had 
disposed of a part of it to the college in his lifetime, with 
the understanding that at least one of his sons should have 
an honorable position among the faculty, and Leonard, 
and later, Timothy, was endowed with a professorship. 

Trueman Pierpont left four children : Leonard, the 
father of -Chester and Eugene, who had now been dead 
some ten years ; Timothy, a doctor of divinity, and pro- 
fessor of Sacred Literature in the Department of Theol- 
ogy ; Grace, the wife of Rev. Samuel Richards, D. D., 
professor of the Greek Language and Literature in the 
same department ; and Lyman, who, having taken offense 
at his father's evident partiality for his other and more 
serious-minded children, had, at the age of eighteen, sud- 
denly taken his departure from his father's house, and 
was next heard of as a favorite at the court of the " king- 
of the Cannibal Islands." 

Years passed ; the king died, and another reigned in 
his stead, " who knew not Lyman," and the ex-counselor 
and favorite withdrew to a plantation on the island of 
Kanai, a gift of his friend the late king. From this 
point, from time to time, he wrote to his brothers, Leon- 
ard and Timothy, with whom he had no quarrel ; but 
suddenly, a few years before Leonard's death, his letters 
ceased to arrive, and from that time notliing more was 
heard of him. 

To the great disgust of his sister Grace, who had never 
treated him fairly, and who in consequence was always 
his aversion, their father, while on his death-bed, made a 
new will, dividing his property, both real and personal, 
into four equal parts, one part to go to the heirs of Leon- 
ard, a second to Timothy and his heirs forever, a third to 



40 AN EMBARRASSING WILL. 

Grace and her interesting family, and the last to Lyman, 
or, in the event of his death, to his lawful heirs and 
representatives. The will, moreover, further provided 
that the real estate should never Ije sold without the full 
consent of Lyman, or until conclusi\'e evidence had been 
obtained that he had died without issue and intestate. 

Under these conditions, what was to be done ? Warren 
Worthington offered one million dollars for the land, but 
he would not give a single dollar unless he could have 
a perfect title — one which no lawyer could question. 
Mrs. Richards was most anxious to dispose of her inter- 
est, "for the sake of her dear children," — a son and 
two daughters, aged twenty-five, twenty-two, and twenty, 
respectively. Doctor Timothy could not but wish to 
oblige his college, and Chester and Eugene were no less 
anxious to favor their alma mater. But there were the 
disagreeable facts : Lyman Pierpont was somewhere in 
the vast Pacific Ocean, and a clear title could not be 
given without his signature, or proof positive that he was 
dead, without issue. 

Aunt Grace wrote many letters to her absent brother, 
and bemoaned her hard lot, not once thinking that to 
her disagreeable ways and baneful influence with her 
father was due, more than to any other cause, his absence 
and continued silence. Doctor Timothy cogitated over 
the problem helplessly, while at last Chester and Eugene 
solved it. 

It was one day while the brothers were in the library 
together. Eugene was seated before the open grate, cut- 
ting the leaves of the Atlantic Monthly. Chester was 
standing in the bay, thoughtfully turning the globe with 
the tip of his finger. At length, as his eye rested on 
the word " Kanai," he stopped. He noted the distance 
between that island and the others of the group, and 
then the space that separated them from the American 
continent. 



AN EMBAERASSING WILL. 41 

"Eugene," he said, suddenly, "why not go to Hawaii — 
you and I — and find this lost uncle of ours ? " 

" That is an idea ! " exclaimed Eugene, throwing down 
his book and starting to his feet ; " and practical, too, I 
should think." 

" Of course." 

" Let 's go and talk it over with Uncle Timothy." 

They went. Uncle Timothy, in a state of great excite- 
ment, hurried them into the presence of the president. 
The president was evidently pleased, and asked them to 
call again the next day. Meantime he had a talk with 
the several members of the corporation, and also with 
Mr. Worthington. 

" Let them go," said the latter ; " my offer shall hold 
good for two years. If at the end of that time a good 
and sufficient deed is not forthcoming — well, we shall 
see." 

It was now more than two weeks since the young men 
had first visited the president. They had had many 
talks in the meantime, and as certain rumors had reached 
them to the effect that Lyman Pierpont had been seen at 
Upola, at Tongataboa, at Nukahiva, one of the Marquesas 
group, and at other points in Polynesia, they had thought 
it might be well to go first to the Samoan group ; but at 
last, as we have seen, Chester decided that it would be 
best to go to Kanai in the first place, and take that as a 
starting point. 

But the serious question had arisen, what means should 
they employ to explore all Polynesia, and perhaps Micro- 
nesia and Melanesia, in case they should be baffled in 
their search through the Hawaiian group. They had but 
two years to work in. They must make the most of that 
time. Things were looking serious, when Professor Sin- 
gleton entered the room. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE QUESTION SOLVED. 

PROFESSOR EZEKIEL SINGLETON was a remark- 
able-looking man. He was forty-eight years of age, 
and appeared at least ten years older. He was tall and 
lank, with a face and expression very like Abraham Lin- 
coln's before he became president and allowed his beard 
to grow. Indeed, his whole appearance reminded one of 
Lincoln, so much did he resemble that distinguished 
statesman. 

Ezekiel Singleton was professor of palaeontology, and 
an enthusiast in his chosen line of inquiry. He had also 
made a thorough study of geology and mineralogy, and 
conducted one division of a class in those sciences. He 
was a great favorite with the students, and whenever he 
started out on one of his excursions, a swarm of them 
accompanied him. 

It had long been his desire to visit Polynesia. He had 
a theory in connection with that portion of the globe 
which he thought a personal visit could not fail to estab- 
lish. His wishes on this subject were well known to the 
president and others connected with the university ; and 
Warren Worthington, who had formed his acquaintance 
soon after making the university town his home, and who 
liked him exceedingly, was not unacquainted with them. 

" Take a seat. Professor," said Chester, cordially, as 
the palaeontologist walked nervously about the room. 

" Don't think I have time to sit down, thank you," said 
the Professor, casting a hasty glance at the map on the 
table, then hurrying across to the bay, and twirling the 

(42) 



THE QUESTION SOLVED. 43 

globe around until the Pacific, with its myriads of islands, 
was uppermost. "A fine globe, this, my friends. By 
the way, are you much interested in map projection ? It 
would pay you to attend one of Prof. Phillips's lectures 
on the subject, particularly if you are going to make a 
long ocean voyage." 

" A long ocean voyage ! That was the subject we were 
discussing when you came in," said Eugene. 

" I can well believe it," smiled the Professor. " And 
what conclusion did you arrive at ? How will you get to 
these islands here, for instance" — placing his finger on 
the Kingsmill group — " in case it should become neces- 
sary to visit them ? " 

" That AYas jtist the question we were considering," 
responded Eugene, " and to which we have not yet found 
an answer." 

" I have brought you the answer," said the Professor, 
quietly. 

" You ? " And both the young men started toward him 
with eager, expectant faces. 

" Doubtless ; and what do you think it is ? " 

" I cannot guess," said Chester. 

" I give it up," smiled Eugene. 

" An elegant, I may even say sumptuous, steam-yacht, 
of three hundred and twenty tons burden ; brig rigged — 
at least, I believe that is the term where they have two 
masts, and use yards and square sails." 

" Exactly," said Eugene, impatiently ; " and her name ? " 

" The Albatross:' 

" What ! Warren Worthington's favorite yacht ? " 

" The same." 

" And to what do we owe this rare piece of good 
luck ? " asked Eugene. 

" And on what terms does he let us have it ? " inquired 
Chester, 



44 THE QUESTION SOLVED. 

" You owe your good luck," said the Professor, address- 
ing Eugene, " to Mr. Worthington's desire to have the 
search made in the shortest possible time." Then turn- 
ing to Chester, "And, as you suspect, there is a condition 
attached to the offer." 

" And that condition ? " asked the brothers, eagerly. 

" Is that you take me with you." 

" Hurrah ! " shouted Eugene, excitedly ; " there could n't 
be anything better. Why, Professor, we 'd rather have 
you along than any other man that could be named ; 
would n't we, Chet ? " 

" Of course we would," was the hearty reply. 

" No, really, do you mean it, young gentlemen ? " asked 
the modest Professor, flushing with pleasure. 

" You may be sure of it," they both exclaimed in a 
breath. 

" Then, if you are not too much engaged, I would like 
to take you aboard and introduce you to the officers. 
They are a fine set of felloAvs, I promise you." 

" Engaged ! This thing is our real business, now, and 
we Avill accompany you at once." 

" I am glad to hear it," exclaimed the Professor, with 
alacrity, and a few minutes later the trio left the house. 

Taking a horse-car at the nearest corner, they rode to 
Bell Dock ; and as the Albatross lay but a short distance 
off in the channel, and as one of her boats was awaiting 
them at the wharf, they were soon alongside. Two gen- 
tlemen standing at the gangway helped to land them 
safely on the steamer's deck, and to one of these the 
professor immediately addressed himself. 

" Captain Bradford," said he, " permit me to make you 
acquainted with our fellow voyagers — Mr. Chester Pier- 
pont, and his brother, Mr. Eugene Pierpont. Gentlemen, 
Captain James Bradford, the worthy commander of the 
Albatross.''^ Then turning to the other officer, " And this 
is Mr. Morgan, our first mate." 



THE QUESTION SOLVED. 45 

The introductions over, Captain Bradford offered to 
give Ms guests some idea of their future home. Nothing 
could have pleased them more ; and with him for a guide, 
they visited every part of the beautiful yacht. They 
found it as near perfection as possible, — as, indeed, was 
everything with which Warren Worthington had any- 
thing to do; and the brothers were unstinted in their 
praise. 

While seated in the saloon, partaking of the refresh- 
ments the captain had thoughtfully ordered to be pre- 
pared for them, Eugene, the impetuous, asked : 

" How long before you will be ready for sea, Captain ? " 

" Ten days," was the answer. 

" Good ! In ten days we will be on board." 

" I like that," said the Captain, approvingly ; " I was 
afraid you would require more time." 

" Not another day — not another hour," exclaimed 
Eugene, "unless, indeed, Professor Singleton — " 

"Not I, young gentlemen," interrupted the- Ptofessor, 
quickly ; " if the Captain only says the word, I can be 
ready in five days." 

" Then it is fully understood," said the Captain, "that, 
Providence permitting, we will sail on the morning of 
the eighth of April — ten days hence ?" 

" Yes, on the morning of the eighth of April ! " echoed 
his prospective passengers, as they started to their feet. 
" And now," added Chester, " we must leave you." 

As in duty bound, Chester and Eugene took an early 
opportunity to wait upon Warren Worthington and thank 
him for his kindness in placing the Albatross at their 
disposal. 

" Pooh ! " exclaimed the millionaire, " that 's nothing, 
or at least, it was inspired by a selfish motive. Remem- 
ber, I have lived on the Pacific coast, and know something 



46 THE QUESTION SOLVED. 

of the vexations and delays in getting from one group of 
South Sea islands to another, if you don't happen to have 
a vessel of your own at your command. And you know, 
young gentlemen, I am getting old, and if I am to see 
the buildings of the post-graduate department erected, I 
must do all I can to hasten the day when the foundations 
may be laid." 

" It was none the less kind of you to deal so liberally 
with us," said Eugene warmly ; " and I only wish you 
were to make one of our party." 

" I might do that," returned Mr. Worthington, with 
some animation. " But no, I must remain here to con- 
sult with the architects. You must know," he continued, 
after a moment's pause, " that I intend to have them go 
ahead with the plans exactly as though I knew you would 
be successful in your search, — as, indeed, I think you 
will be. And so, when I receive word that your uncle is 
found and has signed a proper deed, or that he is dead, I 
can giye orders for the workmen to break ground at 
once." 

" I can understand and appreciate your feelings, sir," 
said Chester, " and I sincerely trust all your hopes may 
be realized." 

Mr. Worthington's liberal action was soon known 
throughout the university world, and as a matter of 
course, created quite a sensation, but nowhere greater 
than at the Richards's fireside. 

" Brother Leonard's boys manage to get a great deal 
of notice taken of them, somehow," said Aunt Grace, 
discontentedly. " Now, why should they go to Hawaii, 
and perhaps cruise all over the South Seas in Warren 
Worthington's beautiful yacht, and at his expense, in 
preference to our Leonard Bacon, I should like to know ?" 

" Or, in preference to us girls," spoke up Miss Nora, 
the younger daughter, with a mischievous twinkle of the 



THE QUESTION SOLVED. 47 

eye. " For my part, I should like very much to make a 
voyage to the South Seas ; and I dare say Gracie would, 
too." 

" I don't know that I would object," admitted her 
sister, while a slight blush suffused her cheeks. 

" Can't say that I should care much about it," said 
Leonard Bacon Richards, who was a somewhat effeminate 
individual, with light-blue eyes, very light hair, and feeble 
side-whiskers ; and who had very little of that energy 
which belonged to the eminent divine to whom he was 
indebted for his name, and in whose calling he expected 
one day to be a great and shining light. 

" And you might add," said his father, gravely, " that 
it would be highly imprudent for you to go, in any event. 
You are so nearly through at the seminary now, that it 
would not be well to leave your studies until after you 
are ordained." 

" Hum, and I fancy then will be the time, if ever, when 
he'll want to go at them in dead earnest," said Nora, 
somewhat sarcastically. 

" True," rejoined her father, taking the remark in 
good faith, " a clergyman's life is, or should be, one of 
study, and from the very outset he should be diligent." 

" You hear, Leonard ? " said his sister, sharply. 

" Yes, I hear," drawled the young man. 

" Well, I trust you will profit by father's words." 

Her brother looked at her doubtfully. 

" It's hard to tell just what you are driving at, some- 
times," he said, at length. 

" Is it ? " she laughed. " I thought I spoke plainly 
enough then." 

Nora Richards had not an exalted opinion of her 
brother's abilities. 



CHAPTER III. 
THE BERMUDAS. 



a 



TIME and tide wait for no man," and spite of 
envious feelings, spite of disappointments and 
regrets, spite of all possible mishaps, the morning of 
the eighth of April arrived ; and with it Professor Single- 
ton and the brothers arrived on board the Albatross. 

The order was soon given to weigh anchor, and a 
little later, their last friends having left them, the yacht 
steamed down the harbor and headed toward the broad 
Atlantic. 

For fully twenty-four hours after they were " out on 
the ocean deep," our travelers realized the fact that there 
is much misery connected with the early part of an 
ocean voyage. But on the evening of the second day, 
the weather being fine, first Eugene, then Chester, and 
at length the Professor made his appearance on the 
quarter-deck, and all drank in the bracing sea air with 
evident enjoyment. 

" This is delightful," exclaimed the Professor, compla- 
cently seating himself on a camp-stool and wrapping a 
shawl about him. " I trust this agreeable weather will 
last. We shall be in the Gulf Stream to-morrow. Pray, 
Mr. Pierpont, have you ever given any attention to the 
surface life of the Gulf Stream ? " 

" Not a great deal, I confess," answered Chester. 

" Then you are wrong, and I recommend you to repair 
the error." 

At this moment Captain Bradford joined them. 

(48) 



THE BERMUDAg. 49 

" Have jou ever visited the Bermudas, Professor ? " 
he asked. 

" ' The storm-vexed Bermudas ? ' Yes, on one memo- 
rable occasion I did so ; but I should like to repeat the 
visit, I assure you." 

" And you, gentlemen ? " turning to the brothers. 

" I have never seen the islands," said Chester. 

" Nor I," added Eugene ; " but I would n't object to 
repairing the error, as the Professor would say." 

" Then, as there are certain reasons why I should like 
to call at Hamilton, and as the delay will be more than 
counterbalanced by the benefits obtained, we will stop 
there." 

" We applaud your decision. Captain," said Eugene. 
" When shall we get into port ? " 

" In less than thirty-six hours, I hope." 

" All right, I must brush up what little knowledge I 
possess of the islands, so that I may pass muster with 
the natives. Professor, can't you help me ? " 

" I endeavored to make the best use of my time while 
I was there," answered the Professor, " and I have given 
the subject some attention since. Whatever I know is 
very much at your service." 

" I '11 warrant it is a great deal more than I can take 
in ; but, in the first place, from what source does the 
group derive its name ? " 

" It was named in honor of Juan Bermudez, who, in 
1522, when the discovery of insular America had become 
well known in the old world, first visited the group in 
the Spanish ship La G-arza, of which he was the com- 
mander, while on a voyage from Spain to Cuba with a 
cargo of hogs. And I may add, that the same year the 
islands were visited by that illustrious historian of the 
Indies, Gonzales Oviedo." 

" A cargo of hogs, eh ? " exclaimed Eugene, " they 
3 



50 ' THE BERMUDAS. 

ought to have put a few ashore on the newly-discovered 
isles." 

" That was Bermudez's intention ; his idea being that 
they would breed and be useful afterwards. But his 
benevolent design was frustrated, on the eve of their 
debarking, by the springing up of a strong gale, which 
obliged them to steer off, and be contented with only a 
partial view, as they thought, of a single island." 

" Let -me see," said Chester, inquiringly, " Columbus 
never saw the Bermudas ? " 

" In searching into the scanty records of the voyages 
of Columbus," answered the Professor, " I find no evi- 
dence of his having done so. And I am fully satisfied 
that he never did." 

"A little out of his track, I fancy," remarked Eugene. 
" But just how are they situated ? and what is the gen- 
eral formation of the group ? " 

" It is a cluster of small islands," replied the Professor, 
" situated, as you must know, in the latitude of Charles- 
town, South Carolina, and five hundred and eighty miles 
distant from Cape Hatter as, which is the nearest point 
on the American coast. The islands are of calcareous 
formation, due entirely, I am satisfied, to the action of 
the wind in blowing up sand made by the disintegration 
of coral reefs. They present but one mass of animal 
remains in various stages of comminution and disintegra- 
tion. The varieties of rock are irregularly associated, 
and without any order of super-position. Nearly every 
shell now known in the surrounding sea may be found in 
the rock, quite perfect, except with regard to color. That 
portion of the coast which looks to the east and to the 
south is in general shelving toward the sea, with a flat, 
shallow beach ; while the western and northern shores 
rise almost perpendicularly from the ocean to a height of 
from twenty to thirty feet ; and except in some of the 



THE BERMUDAS. 51 

small creeks, where steep, sandy beaches occur, under 
the rocky cliffs, the water is deep close to the shore. 
The southeastern coast, to the extent of six or eight 
miles, exhibits a mixed character, the low land sinking 
very gradually under the sea, and the rugged and conical 
hills terminating, not in wall-like precipices, but sloping 
abruptly to a flat, extended beach." 

" The islands are encircled by dangerous coral reefs, 
are they not ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes ; and many of them extend a considerable dis- 
tance from the land ; but the greater part of them lie 
under the surface of the water, at no great distance from 
the shore." 

" When were the islands first settled ? " asked Eugene. 

" Ferdinand Camelo took formal possession of them in 
1543," answered the Professor ; " and is stated to have 
cut his name on a rock still known as the ' Spanish 
Rock,' on the south side of the main island. On the 7th 
of December, 1593, Barboti^re, a French captain, was 
shipwrecked off the coast, and with twenty-six, out of 
fifty composing the crew, escaped to the shore. Among 
them was Henry May, an Englishman, who afterwards 
published an account of the shipwreck. Again, it was 
not until after an English vessel was wrecked here, being 
one of an expedition consisting of nine ships and five 
hundred men, on their way to Virginia, and the capabil- 
ities of Bermuda were examined into, that the islands 
excited any attention in Europe. 

" The expedition, after a favorable run to the Gulf of 
Bahama, encountered a severe hurricane. The vessels 
were each driven in a different direction, and the crew 
of the principal one, the Sea Adventure, with whom were 
Sir Thomas Gates, Admiral Sir George Somers, and 
Captain Newport — the first-mentioned to act as deputy 
governor under Lord Delaware — were miraculously pre- 



52 THE BERMUDAS. 

served from a watery grave, by the vessel being wedged 
between two rocks at the east end of Bermuda, and by 
means of a boat and skiff, the whole, to the number of 
one hundred and fifty men, with a great portion of the 
provisions and tackling, were landed." 

" And the shore is now called, from the name of the 
ship. Sea Adventure Flat," remarked Captain Bradford. 

" Right, Captain," nodded the Professor, and then con- 
tinued : " With as little delay as possible after their sad 
disaster, the crew of the ill-fated vessel got in readiness 
and dispatched the long-boat, with Raven, the mate, and 
eight men, to Virginia, to bring shipping for their con- 
veyance ; but after eight months had elapsed, no tidings 
of the boat's crew arrived, and Sir George and his men 
built two cedar vessels, one of eighty tons, the Deliver- 
ance, and the other of thirty tons, the Patience. There 
was but one bolt of iron in Sir George's vessel, and that 
was in her keel. The seams of both vessels were closed 
up with a mixture of lime and oil, for the purpose of 
making them water-tight. 

, " In commemoration of the unfortunate' shipwreck, 
Gates attached a wooden cross to a large cedar tree, and 
placed a silver coin, together with an ^inscription on a 
copper plate, in the middle of it, which ran about as 
follows : ' That the cross was the remains of a ship of 
three hundred tons, called the Sea Adventure, bound, 
with eight more, to Virginia, That she contained two 
knights — Sir Thomas Gates, Governor of the Colony, and 
Sir George Somers, Admiral of the Seas — who, together 
with her captain, Christopher Newport, and one hundred 
and fifty mariners and passengers besides, had got safe 
ashore when she was lost, 28th July, 1609.' 

" Gates and Somers left Bermuda for Virginia on the 
10th of May, 1610, in their cedar vessels, having left two 
men behind ; and they arrived at Jamestown on the 23d 



THE BERMUDAS. 53 

of May. Sir George, after remaining but a short time at 
Jamestown, left that place for Bermuda, in company with 
Captain Argall, afterwards Governor of Virginia. They 
were driven northward by contrary winds, nearly to Cape 
Cod, where they were enveloped in such dense fOgs that 
the two vessels were separated, and Argall returned to 
his station. Somers, whose name the islands then bore, 
though the original one. of Bermuda has since prevailed, 
pushed steadily on, and arrived at Bermuda on the 19th 
of June ; but from age and fatigue of tlie voyage, he 
survived only a short time. His body was embalmed, 
and the colonists, alarmed at the untimely fate of their 
energetic commander, disregarded his dying exhortation 
to use their utmost endeavors for the benefit of the plan- 
tations and to return to Virginia, sailed for England with 
his remains, in the little vessel of thirty tons, and shortly 
after their arrival the embalmed body of their hero was 
buried in White Church, Dorsetshire. 

" Attempts were now seriously made by England to 
colonize Bermuda, and on the 11th of July, 1612, a 
vessel with sixty emigrants arrived, and was conducted 
into harbor by three men who had been left on the 
island. They were attracted hither by the hope of find- 
ing ambergris. 

" The attention of England was now roused in favor of 
Bermuda, by the report of Captain Matthew Somers, the 
nephew and heir of Sir George. Publicity was given to 
highly-colored statements and great exaggerations, in 
contrast with the dark ideas formerly prevalent. Jour- 
dan remarks that ' this prodigious and enchanted place, 
which had been shunned as a Scylla and Charybdis, and 
where no one had ever landed but against his will, was 
really the richest, healthfulest, and most pleasing land 
ever man set foot on.' Strachy sums up his pithy remark 
by saying that the company ' liked it very well.' 



64 THE BERMUDAS. 

" The Virginia Company, after having bestirred them- 
selves in representations to King James I, showing the 
vast importance and the proximity of Bermuda to his 
Majesty's ' plantation ' of Virginia, succeeded in procur- 
ing an extension of their charter, on the 12th of March, 
1612, to embrace Bermuda in their boundaries, for the 
purpose of trade with the mother country and British 
America; and England was now actively engaged in 
fostering it. Shortly afterwards the islands were sold by 
that company to one hundred and twenty gentlemen, who 
formed a company of their" own, under the name and 
style of the Governor and Company of the City of Lon- 
don, for the ' plantation ' of the Somer Islands. 

" Amidst all this additional strength to its resources, 
Richard Mpor was sent out as governor for Bermuda. 
Governor Moor's administration was an active one ; 
he laid the foundation of eight or nine forts, and had 
everything placed in readiness in case of hostilities or 
aggression. He removed the seat of government from 
Smith Island to St. George's, and having built a cabin, 
which he thatched with palmetto leaves, as a residence, 
the rest of the colonists soon followed his example. He 
built also a church of cedar, which was in time destroyed 
by a tempest, and he afterward directed another to be 
built of palmetto branches, in a place better sheltered 
from the weather. 

" Scarcity and want prevailed for two years, to an 
alarming extent, and the colony was covered with a 
veil of gloom and despondency, which was increased by 
a fatal sickness, of which many died. Sometime after, 
the ship Welcome arrived with stores, which afforded 
relief to the people. About this time the potato and 
tobacco were first cultivated. During Governor Moor's 
administration, the company employed Richard Norwood 
in dividing the island into 'tribes and shares, fifty shares 



THE BERMUDAS. 55 

being allotted to each tribe. Moor displeased the com- 
pany by opposing their projected division of the colony 
into shares, in which he insisted that neither his own 
interest nor that of the colonists was duly considered. 
This displeasure of the company was followed by Moor's 
recall, and the ship Welcome took him home, leaving the 
administration in charge of six persons, who were to 
rule, each in turn, one month. Governor Moor was 
indefatigable in his exertions for the benefit of the 
colony. He was a man of ordinary condition, a carpen- 
ter by trade, but by his firmness, prudence, and popular 
manners, he soon silenced all impertinence, and shamed 
all attempts at opposition in England. 

" He was succeeded by Daniel Tucker, in May, 1616, 
when a very important era dawned upon the islands, as 
a court of general assize was held at St. George in the 
second month of Tucker's administration, being the first 
real attempt to establish law and justice in the group. 

" This measure met with the usual opposition, and a 
Frenchman was hanged for speaking 'many distasteful 
and mutinous speeches against the governor.' The dis- 
couraging and afflicting circumstances of the state of 
society at this period naturally required a remedy, and 
it was thought necessary by Tucker to make an example 
of the first culprit for the suppression of the mutiny." 

" Strange that the first culprit should have been a 
Frenchman," mused Eugene. 

" Ah, you think the culprit may have been a victim ! " 
exclaimed the Professor. "Well, I must say, that while 
Tucker appears to have been a most persevering and 
painstaking governor, and thoroughly initiated into the 
mysteries of his duties, yet, in attempting to establish 
order among the boisterous colonists, and to correct the 
mutinous spirit which then existed among them, he 
appears to have adopted high-handed measures. The 



56 THE BERMUDAS. 

islands underwent many convulsions, and society was 
in a wretched condition, owing to the constant animosity 
between the governor and the settlers ; the latter being 
still held in check by the absurd policy of the governor. 
The cruel discipline and severe labor which he exacted 
of them created great disgust, and at length excited 
many to attempt desperate means to escape from the 
islands. Five persons succeeded in building a boat of 
three tons, under the pretence of its being for the use of 
the governor ; and previous to their departure for Eng- 
land, one of the party borrowed a compass of Rev. Mr. 
Hughes, for whom he left a very ludicrous note, recom- 
mending patience under the loss." 

" Ah, I remember reading of that," said Chester, " Mr. 
Hughes had preached several sermons on patience about 
that time." 

" Yes, and so I suppose they thought they would give 
him a chance to exercise the virtue," said the Professor. 
" Three weeks after they sailed, they encountered a 
strong gale, but their little craft was fortunate in her 
contest with the winds and the waves, and after great 
privations the bold-hearted sailors arrived in Ireland ; 
there their cruise was held to be so marvelous that the' 
Earl of Thomond ordered that they should be received 
and entertained, and their brave little bark hung up as 
a monument of the extraordinary voyage. The governor 
was highly enraged at their escape, and threatened to 
hang the whole if they returned. 

" Shortly after Governor Tucker's arrival he was suc- 
cessful, as we are told, in obtaining from the West Indies 
'Figgs, Pynes, an Indian, and a Negar.' These Avere 
the first slaves brought to the islands ; but slavery be- 
came very general as early as 1632. 

" The ship Diaiia arrived from Europe with a supply 
of stores and men, and after remaining a few weeks, 



THE BERMUDAS. 57 

returned to England with 30,000 pounds of tobacco, 
wliicli gave great satisfaction to the proprietors. Great 
complaints of Tucker's cruelty were forwarded by this 
ship, and, to justify himself, he went home in Decem- 
ber, 1618, leaving the government in charge of Captain 
Kendall. 

" The company did not think fit to send him back, but 
appointed in his place Captain Nathaniel Butler, who 
sailed in July, 1619, and arrived in October, with four 
ships and five hundred men; this doubled the number 
already in the colony. Butler gave great satisfaction, by 
modeling his administration on the principle of the home 
government." 

After a brief pause the Professor continued : 

" We have seen that disputes, while as yet their num- 
bers scarcely amounted to hundreds, composed the chief 
portion of the early history of the colonists. The first 
cultivators of the soil, being white laborers, were soon 
found unequal to the fatigues of agriculture in a warm 
climate, and it therefore became necessary to pro'cure 
Africans. These, at the time of their first importation, 
were actually considered an intermediate race between 
man and monkey. Such a doctrine, I believe, was really 
promulgated, for the purpose of removing somewhat of 
the disgust which had come to prevail against the traffic 
of buying and selling our fellow-creatures. There were 
at this time, and long afterwards, as is well known, mon- 
sters in human shape, who sailed the seas, and made it 
their chief business to steal the helpless and unwary from 
the shores of England ; whole villages were laid desolate, 
and the inhabitants carried off and sold in the colonies. 
No animal more savage than such men. But the curse 
of "Grod was upon these pirates and man-stealers. 

"The colonists refused to purchase their Christian 
brethren, or to receive their fellow-creatures into slavery 
3* 



68 THE BERMUDAS. 

from their kidnappers ; and hence it became necessary, 
as I suppose, for the traders to assert that the negro was 
only half human. You may smile at this assertion ; but 
the subject was seriously discussed, both in England and 
in the colonies, and it was decided at one time that they 
were unworthy of baptism, and ought not to be allowed 
to enter where the word of God was preached. 

" The first general assembly for the despatch of public 
business was held at St. George's, according to instruc- 
tions from England, on the 1st of August, 1620. The 
assembly was composed of the governor, council, bailiffs, 
burgesses, and a secretary, numbering thirty-two in all ; 
and during the session fifteen acts were passed, and 
approved by the proprietors in England. Butler divided 
the islands into parcels, which were soon peopled ; for, 
in 1623, there were more than three hundred Eng- 
lish inhabitants. After that time the population was 
increased by blacks, who now form more than one-]ialf 
of the entire population. 

" The group continued to enjoy a high reputation, and 
at the period of civil commotion in England, along with 
Virginia, was the resort of distinguished emigrants. The 
archives of the colony present nothing, so far as I could 
find, worthy of notice after the civil wars in the old 
country, when. many sought a refuge from the tyranny 
of the ruling party in the distant sanctuary ; tradition 
only handing down a succession of quarrels between the 
governor and the people. But really, my young friends, 
I fear I am wearying you, then, too, as our Captain would 
say, it's high time to turn in," and so the Professor's 
lecture was over for the nio-ht. 



CHAPTER lY. 

THE BERMUDAS — Continued. 

AFTER breakfast the next morning, the Professor 
and the brothers met again on the quarter-deck, 
where Captain Bradford speedily joined them. The Pro- 
fessor had hardly seated himself in the comfortable cane- 
seat chair which had been provided since the evening 
before, when Eugene exclaimed : 

" Here we are, all ready for a second installment of 
Bermuda. I hope you are not weary of the subject, 
Professor ? " • 

" Oh, not at all," was the cheerful answer ; " we shall 
all enjoy our visit there the more by giving the matter a 
little attention now." 

" The climate of the islands has been greatly extolled, 
and justly, I believe," remarked Chester. 

" Ah, the climate ! " exclaimed the Professor, with ani- 
mation, " It has a mean temperature between that of 
the West Indies and British North America, partaking 
neither of the extreme heat of the one, nor the excessive 
cold of the other. It is greatly improved by the warmth 
of the Gulf Stream, which sweeps along between Bermuda 
and the American continent ; the winter months resem- 
bling the early part of October in southern New England, 
but without its frosts. The sweet strains of the Bard of 
Erin have sounded the praises of the cedar-groves and 
wood-nymphs of the ' Fairy Isles,' as the Bermudas have 
been styled by Shakspeare. Let me see — how does it 
run ? I am not good at remembering poetry." 

(59) 



60 THE BERMUDAS. 

" Is this it ? " and clearing his throat, Eugene began : 

" ' No: ne'er did the wave in its element steep 

An island of lovelier charms ; 
It blooms in the giant embrace of the deep, 

Like Hebe in Hercules' arms; 
The blush of your bowers is light to the eye. 

And their melody balm to the ear; 
But the fiery planet of day is too nigh, 

And the Snow Spirit never comes here.'" 

" That 's it, my young friend. Thank you, very much, 
indeed. You see, according to the poet, the only draw- 
back is, ' the fiery planet of day is too nigh.' " 

" Is there much sickness, then, in the summer season ? " 
asked Chester. 

"No," rejoined the Professor; " Bermuda is not at any 
time so much subject to diseases as are the more northern 
climates. Epidemics are of unfrequent occurrence, and 
the death rate is very low." 

" I suppose the Gulf Stream has a great influence on 
the climate," said Chester. 

" You are right," was the reply. " The effects of the 
Gulf Stream on the climate of Bermuda are very mani- 
fest. This powerful current, after rising under the tropic, 
and flowing from the Gulf of Mexico through the Straits 
of Bahama, runs in a northeasterly direction along the 
American coast, washing the Great Bank of Newfound- 
land, and, after flowing upwards of 3,000 miles, finally 
reaches the Azores, and even the Bay of Biscay. The 
temperature of the water of this current is eight degrees 
above that of the surrounding sea at the Great Bank, and 
five degrees above the temperature of the- sea at the 
Azores. Rennel estimates the dimensions of the current 
and the track that receives it at 2,000 miles in length, 
and 350 in breadth. Both are marked by the seaweed, 
and are well known to mariners.' By this cauldron of 



THE BERMUDAS. 61 

warm water the icebergs from the north are dissolved ; 
the sm'rounding waters and superincumbent atmosphere 
are warmed, and the temperature of the neighboring 
continent elevated. A proper retreat is also afforded to 
the various kinds of fish after their season of spawning 
has passed, and while the severity of the frost drives 
them from the shores. Such are some of the leading 
operations perceived in the economy of nature in this 
part of the world." 

The speaker paused, and Eugene presently said : 

" The Bermudans have plenty of rain and fog, I believe, 
Professor ? " 

" Yes," was the reply ; " the atmosphere brought over 
the land from the southwest, being loaded with vapor 
given off from the warm sea surface, is frequently charged 
with rain ; and the condensation carried on by the cooler 
land surface along the coast in the spring, produces fogs. 
The atmosphere over the interior lands, however, soon 
acquires the temperature necessary to dispel these fogs, 
and therefore, while some of the shores are obscured by 
them, the inland districts enjoy a clear sky. From the 
proximity of Bermuda to the Gulf Stream, it enjoys the 
improved climate thus produced in the highest degree." 

" The climate, so improved," said Chester, " must have 
a good effect on the products of the islands." 

" The effects of the climate upon the agricultural pro- 
duce are more favorable than in other countries under 
the same mean annual temperature. Besides many of 
the fruits of the temperate regions, the heat of summer 
permits those of a tropical character to flourish ; hence a 
greater variety may be produced than in any other part 
of the world. The season for vegetation is sufficiently 
extended to ripen a great many kinds of grain, vegetables, 
and fruit." 

" Which is the most agreeable season at Bermuda ? " 
asked Eugene. 



62 THE BERMUDAS. 

" The most agreeable season," responded the Professor, 
" is the winter, or cold season, which lasts from November 
to March, the mean temperature being 60°. The prevail- 
ing winds are then from the westward ; but if from the 
northwest, fine, hard weather, with a clear sky, accom- 
panies them, the thermometer varying from 60° to 56°. 
This weather often terminates in a very fine, bright day, 
with a very slight wind and partial calms ; afterwards, the 
wind invariably changes to the southwest, and the weather 
becomes hazy, damp, and attended with heavy rains and 
gales, the thermometer rising to 66° and 70°." 

" These alternate northwesterly and southwesterly 
winds prevail during the greater part of the year, do 
they not ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes, for nine months, when the wind remains at no 
other point for any length of time. The change is 
shown by a difference of 14° in the temperature." 

" With regard to the form of government. Professor, 
can you give us an idea?" asked Eugene, who had had 
quite enough of the climate and winds. 

" On that head it is hardly worth while to say more 
than a word," responded the palaeontologist. " Bermuda, 
and, indeed, most of the West Indian colonies, appear 
externally to be governed on the model of England ; but 
in reality they only possess in a small degree the genuine 
spirit of the mother country. They are practical repub- 
lics, and present as faitliful a picture of the petty States 
of old Greece as the change of manners and religion will 
allow. There is the same equality among them, the 
same undue conception of their own importance, the 
same irritability of temper, which has ever been the 
characteristic curse of all little commonwealths." 

" Perhaps one trouble is, that the model they have 
patterned after is too large," laughed Eugene. 

" You are right," said the Professor, " the forms of 



THE BERMUDAS. 63 

the English Parliament are indeed too gigantic for the 
capacities of little islands ; the colonists, as has been well 
said, are not elevated by the size, but lost in the folds of 
the mighty robe, which was never destined for their use. 

" In Bermuda the Legislature consists of three branches 
— the governor, who is the Queen's representative ; the 
legislative council, consisting of a limited number, ap- 
pointed by the Queen; and the general assembly, con- 
sisting of thirty-six members, elected by the people. 
The members of the assembly and council are each paid 
eight shillings sterling per diem when on duty; this 
sum is voted annually, and entails on the colony a 
considerable expense. 

"The three branches of the Legislature enact laws in 
a way similar to the Queen, Lords, and Commons in 
England ; but any act may be set aside by the Queen's 
disallowing it." 

"You say the House is composed of thirty-six mem- 
bers," observed Chester ; " what population do they repre- 
sent ? " 

" Not more than 12,000," was the reply. 

" Good gracious ! then there is one representative to 
every 333 of the inhabitants ? " 

" Yes ; and at no time does party spirit run so high 
as at the election of a member. Upon such occasions 
the whole island is in a ferment. As with us, to be a 
voter, is to stamp a man of one party or the other." 

" So party spirit really runs high among the Bermu- 
dans?" 

" It is utterly impossible for any one who has not 
visited the islands to form an idea of the length to 
which it is carried. It enters into the most private 
relations of life. A tory and a radical are as distinct, 
and have as little in common between them, as if they 
were men not only of different countries, but of countries 



64 THE BERMUDAS. 

hostile to each other. The most admirable proposition 
that united wisdom and patriotism ever contrived, if 
emanating from one party, would be received with cool- 
ness by the other. In private society, too, the distinction 
is very strongly marked; families of different parties 
do not mingle ; and even tradesmen find their custom 
affected in a considerable degree by these political 
divisions. 

" Although this party spirit is in itself so thoroughly 
unimportant and contemptible — to all, excepting those 
who are under its influence — yet it deserves notice in 
as far as it influences the state of society, in impeding 
the progress of civilization and the march of improve- 
ment. It has extinguished public spirit, which exists 
only among a few; for the petty triumph of party is 
preferred, at all times, to the public good. All persons 
of intelligence must allow that — the natural advantages 
of climate and productions of the islands being so great 
— if there were a government, however severe, which 
had the will and power to insure protection to capital 
and investment, and to suppress the evils attending on 
the periodical elections to the house of assembly, Ber- 
muda would become one of the richest colonies of the 
world." 

" Let 's hope that they '11 soon have less politics and 
better government," said Eugene. " I wish we were 
there now." 

" But what can we do to amuse ourselves when we get 
there ? " asked Chester. 

" I '11 tell you one thing you must do, gentlemen, while 
we are in port," said Captain Bradford, with animation, 
" you must go a fishing. 

" Ah ! so there is good fishing at Bermuda ? " exclaimed 
Eugene. 

" I should say so ! " rejoined the Captain. 



THE BERMUDAS. 65 

" How 's that, Professor ? " asked Chester, turning to 
the palaeontologist, with a smile. 

" There is no part of the globe in which a greater 
variety and excellence of fish abound, than in the waters 
bordering on the shores of Bermuda," answered the 
Professor, emphatically. 

" Tell us about some of them." 

" Well, among the most delicate, I may mention the 
angel-fish, the chub, the grouper, and the rock-fish. 
These are considered by connoisseurs to be the most 
esteemed fish for the table. The most common descrip- 
tions are the snappers, yellowtails, hinds, the grunts, 
and the squirrels. Many of these are of brilliant colors. 
The yellowtail, for example, is pale azure on the back, 
and pearly white below, with a broad band of the richest 
yellow along each side, which is the hue also of the 
dorsal and caudal fins. The spotted snapper is white, 
traversed by longitudinal lines of yellow ; the dorsal and 
caudal fins have borders of rose-pink, and there is a 
large oval black spot on each flank. The hind is a 
handsome fish. It is studded with scarlet spots on a 
grayish ground ; the fins are yellow, especially the caudal, 
with black borders, having a narrow white edge. Some- 
times the pectorals are brilliantly scarlet. 

" But those just named yield to the different species 
of Scemulon, which, under the name of grunts, are well- 
known and highly esteemed throughout Bermuda. Their 
characteristic markings and hues are oblique parallel 
lines of gold, on a silver or metallic azure ground, with 
delicately tinted fins, and sometimes spots of peculiarly 
intense luster ; the whole interior of their mouth is 
generally of the finest scarlet." 

" And we can really catch some of these beauties, can 
we ? " asked Eugene, eagerly. 

" Yes, all of them are taken with the line, as well as 
with the seine, and in pots." 



66 THE BERMUDAS. 

" Wliicli are considered tlie best eating ? " 

" The snappers are perhaps more highly esteemed than 
the grunts, but both are excellent." 

" Where are these fish found in greatest abundance — 
that is, where is the best fishing ? " 

" They chiefly frequent what is called ' broken ground,' 
where patches of white sand alternate with masses of 
rough rock and fields of grass-like weeds. They range 
from deep water to the rocky shore ; are taken abund- 
antly with the seine, and bite freely at a bait of pilchard ; 
but only fish of small and middling size are commonly 
caught in pots. The fish of large dimensions (of two 
feet and a half) will rarely bite at a hook worked in 
the usual manner. For them the fisherman takes a wire 
hook as large as a goose-quill, which he throws over- 
board, baited with a pilchard, but in a peculiar fashion. 
One side of the pilchard is split nearly off, remaining 
attached only by the tail ; this is allowed to hang free, 
and a slice from the back and one from the belly are 
allowed to hang in the same way. The hook is then 
passed in at the mouth, out at the gills, and again 
through the middle, and the head is tied to the top of 
the hook ; another slice is then put upon the hook, and 
made to hang down. This is designated a ' full bait.' " 

"I should say so ! " remarked Eugene. 

" No sinker is attached," the Professor went on, " but 
its own weight is sufficient to carry it nearly to the 
bottom. The line being passed with two turns round 
the fisherman's finger, he seats himself comfortably in 
his boat, and awaits the bite of the first large fish that 
may choose to essay the baited hook ; which it usually 
does by taking in the whole at a gulp. 

" The seine at Bermuda, as elsewhere, is the chief 
resource of the fisherman ; and many kinds of fish are 
taken by this means that rarely enter a fish-pot or seize 



THE BERMUDAS. 67 

a bait, together with many species that are called ' rub- 
bish,' as being of no esteem in the market, though often 
interesting to the naturalist. 

" There are many other fishes, such as the goat-fish, the 
angel chjetodon, the doctor-fish, the parrot-fish, the soap- 
fish, and a sort of turbot. Then there are others, such 
as sharks,- hedgehog-fishes, whales, et lioc genus omne ; 
but these I will not attemj)t to describe. I will only 
remark that a considerable tonnage in boats, and a num- 
ber of people, are employed in the Bermuda fisheries ; 
the produce of which forms a large item in the consump- 
tion of the islands." 

" Let 's see, how many islands are there in the 
group ? " asked Chester, presently. 

" It is said there are 365," answered the Professor ; 
"but if so, some of them are mere rocks. The chief 
of the group is Great Bermuda Island, containing the 
town of Hamilton ; St. George's, with its town of the 
same name ; Somerset Island ; and Ireland Island, on 
which is the dock-yard. Besides these, there are St. 
David's, Longbird, Paget's, Smith's, Cooper's, Nonsuch, 
Castle, and many inferior in size." 

" Tell us something of the Great Bermuda," said 
Eugene, " that being the most important island of the 
group." 

" The Great Bermuda, termed by way of distinction 
the ' mainland,' " rejoined the Professor, " was originally 
divided into eight districts, called ' tribes.' Hamilton 
tribe, which is the most northern and eastern, is a 
mere belt of sand, rock, and a little vegetable mould, 
surrounding a lagoon, which is called Harrington Sound. 
This fine sheet of water might be made a. secure harbor 
for shipping by cutting a canal into it, the present chan- 
nel being a mere shallow creek. 

'i The Hamlet of the Flatts, is situated on the southern 



68 THE BERMUDAS. 

bank of the creek, in Smith's tribe. Tuckerstown, ANiiich 
lies eastward of the lagoon, appertains to Hamilton tribe. 
Smith and Devonshire tribes follow in succession, in a 
southwesterly direction. Pembroke occupies a spur of 
the island, which there trends in an east and west direc- 
tion, and is divided from Paget tribe by an inlet called 
Paget Port — commonly Crow Lane." 

" I suppose Hamilton is n't much of a place ? " said 
Eugene, interrogatively. 

"The town of Hamilton," returned the Professor, 
" presents little that is attractive to a stranger, though 
its aspect is characteristic enough of West Indian man- 
ners ; it is situated in Pembroke, and on the north side 
of the inlet ; it is a free port, and the seat of the legis- 
lature. You climb the wharf, and are immediately in a 
broad, long, rather low and straight street, which is the 
front street, nearly a mile in length, bordered by a row 
of the Pride-of-India trees, which forms a pleasant shade 
during the summer months. There is no pavement, and 
the sandy earth is plowed into ruts by the carts. Most 
of the houses are ' shops,' or stores, as we would call 
them ; each store, whatever the character of its mer- 
chandise — whether shoes, dry goods, hardware, liquors, 
tobacco, provisions, or what not- — being usually fitted 
up in the same manner, and having an open piazza in 
front, two or three yards wide, the roof being supported 
by slender pillars. Behind this piazza is the store, which 
is furnished with counters and shelves, somewhat in the 
American style ; and over all are the rooms of the dwel- 
ling-house, furnished with jalousies, or strong Venetian 
blinds, which admit light and air from beneath, and 
exclude the sun's rays. Towards the suburbs the stores 
cease, the houses become more elegant, each enclosed 
in a court or garden, which is often adorned with the 
beautiful fragrant blossoming trees and plants of the 



THE BERMUDAS. 69 

island, or such as unite fruit with beauty and shade. 
Of the former, the rose-geranium, the white-jessamine, 
and the oleander or South Sea rose, — both beautiful and 
odorous — are great favorites ; and of the latter we meet 
with the wide-spreading pomegranate, the tall pawpaw, 
and the golden-fruited members of the citrus genus, from 
the gigantic shaddock to the diminutive lime. 

" The town of Hamilton is backed by a range of 
heights; but between these heights and the town there 
is a level, varying from half a mile to a mile in breadth. 
This level forms a semi-circular suburb, the arch of 
which is not less than three miles ; and a large portion 
of this space is occupied by villas and cottage residences, 
with their gardens and orchards, the property chiefly of 
the native inhabitants of Bermuda, and occupied either 
by themselves, or by the foreign residents to whom they 
are let. These residences are not confined to the level 
ground ; they encroach upon the heights also, adorning 
the slopes and crowning the eminences ; and the general 
neatness of the exterior of these villas, with the sub- 
stantial garden-walls and luxuriant foliage, produce a 
very favorable impression on the stranger. 

" The houses of those who are not in business, and of 
many of the most opulent merchants, are to be found in 
the suburbs, and in those newer streets which form the 
outlets ; where also the English and foreign residents 
principally abide. Some of these streets are pretty, 
regular, and well built, having an open space, together 
with an ornamental garden-plot, in front of them. North 
of the town is a hill, called Mount Langton, on which 
is the Government House, and a flag-staff, by means 
of which communication is kept up between St. George, 
the dock-yard, and Gibbs' Hill. A few miles to the 
northwest of Mount Langton is the residence of the 
Admiral — St. John's Hill, or Clarence Lodge. 



70 THE BERMUDAS. 

" It is fortunate for us, and for all visitors, that Ber- 
muda possesses other attractions than those offered by 
its public buildings ; for these are devoid of either beauty 
or interest ; indeed, with the exception of Trinity church, 
the new hotel, the public offices, and two of the chapels 
in Hamilton, there are none deserving the name ; and 
of these. Trinity church and the new hotel have alone 
any claim to architectural design." 

At this moment the lookout forward created a diver- 
sion by calling out, in stentorian tones, " Land ho ! " 

Instantly Captain Bradford left the group and hurried 
forward. Next, Chester and Eugene started to their feet, 
and joining the lookout, peered off eagerly in the direc- 
tion indicated by that individual. The Professor, with 
more deliberation, arose from his comfortable seat, and 
taking his lorgnette from its case, raised the instrument 
to his eyes and directed it toward the horizon, carefully 
adjusting the sights to the right focus as he gazed. 

In a few minutes all had made out the land ; and 
presently, as the brothers returned to the quarterdeck, 
the Professor turned to them and said : 

"Well, young gentlemen, you have heard something 
of Bermuda, and now you see the Fairy Isles ! " 



CHAPTER y. 

THE BERMUDAS, Cokcltjded — THE BAHAMAS. 

AS they approached nearer and nearer to their des- 
tination, their interest was intensified by the 
beauties which were spread out before them on every 
hand. The limpid waters, the innumerable isles and 
islets, the vessels and pleasure-boats, darting here and 
there, the flowers and running vines which almost hid 
the dwellings they embraced, all helped to make up a 
scene of rare and wondrous beauty. And so, thread- 
ing their way through the delightful archipelago, they 
suddenly found themselves in the charming harbor of 
Hamilton. 

The arrival of the Albatross was made known to the 
islanders by the display of a flag from the government 
house ; and apparently the agreeable news had been 
disseminated throughout the group, for the crowd that 
gathered on the wharf, like magic, was a formidable 
one. The greater portion, of course, were colored, but 
there were many English, and not a few Americans 
among the throng. 

The yacht was brought to anchor just off Front 
street, which the Professor informed the brothers was 
the thoroughfare he had alluded to as bemg the prin- 
cipal street of the town. 

As soon as possible, they went ashore to take a look 
about them. On the whole, the first impression of the 
place was unfavorable. This was owing, in some meas- 
ure, to the white appearance of the streets, caused by 

(71) 



72 THE BERMUDAS. 

the nature of the soil, which imparts a dazzling glare 
that is exceedingly annoying. 

" No hackmen about, I notice," observed Eugene, 
glancing back toward the crowd they had just left. 
" And I missed the indefatigable hotel runner, with 
whom we are so well acquainted at home." 

" Yes," laughed Chester, " I noticed that our island 
friends did n't give us a very noisy welcome." 

" The people are not given to making much noise in 
this latitude," said the Professor ; " it requires the ex- 
penditure of too much energy. And if you want to 
ride, you will have to' send to a hotel or stable for a 
carriage, for no one will take the trouble to solicit your 
patronage." 

" Ah ! that's a blessing, any way," exclaimed Eugene, 
emphatically. " How often I have been tempted to com- 
mit murder or suicide at home, on emerging from a rail- 
way station." 

• " How about a hotel ? " asked Chester. " Is there a 
good one near ? " 

" Yes," answered the Professor, " there are some three 
or four at no great distance. The best, however, is the 
Hamilton, on the hill, yonder ; which, as you see, com- 
mands a fine view of the town and harbor." 

" That 's the place for us, then," cried Eugene. " Come 
on." And tliey pursued their way to the hostelry. 

They found the Hamilton all they could wish; and 
after partaking of refreshments, seated themselves on 
the broad veranda and enjoyed the delightful panorama 
before them. 

For three days the Professor and his companions 
were permitted to enjoy themselves on shore, and they 
made good use of the time. They visited every point 
of interest, and the Professor and Chester took volumi- 
nous notes. Eugene was much struck with St. George, 



THE BERMUDAS. 73 

which he declared to be quite his idea of a Spanish 
town. 

This quaint old place has a most excellent harbor, 
which was formed at great cost by blasting away the 
reefs and constructing a breakwater on the point of the 
adjacent island of Ireland. The streets are narrow — 
so narrow, in fact, that you might almost shake hands 
with your neighbor in a window across the way. The 
buildings are huddled together in a rather insane fashion 
— quite delightful, Eugene thought. Here and there 
they came upon a beautiful garden, with a cosy cot- 
tage in the midst, and at a pleasant, home-like hotel, 
they found fair accommodations. Taking it all together, 
they decided that the old town was well worth the visit, 
and left it with regret. St. George is now an important 
naval station, and is strongly fortified. 

In returning to Hamilton, they passed over a fine 
ocean drive of eight or nine miles, going by Harrington 
Sound, and so past the Devil's Hole, or Neptune's Grotto, 
between which and the sound there is a subterranean 
communication — the sound, it will be understood, being 
an arm of the sea. Here they had a splendid opportu- 
nity to see the various fish the Professor had described, 
for many that are caught at the most favorable seasons 
of the year are kept here until wanted for use. The 
great basin will hold 2,000 or more, and our party was 
fortunate in finding it well stocked. There were many 
varieties, and the spectacle was as pleasing as it was 
novel. The Professor, who had visited the grotto before, 
was able to inform his companions that these ponds, on 
a small scale, were quite numerous throughout Bermuda. 

On reaching Hamilton, they found Captain Bradford 
anxiously expecting them. An hour later they were on 
board, and the Albatross was steaming out of the harbor. 

For the remainder of the day our friends did little 
4 



74 THE BAHAMAS.. 

else than talk of the sights they had seen, and the good 
time they had enjoyed among " our neighbors the Ber- 
mudans," and when night came they had hardly ex- 
hausted the subject. 

Although, they had already been enjoying pleasant 
weather, the change in the temperature next morning 
was quite marked. Lighter clothing was at once resort- 
ed to, and at an early hour Captain Bradford ordered 
all hands aft to spread the awning. The sky became 
brighter, the sea smoother, and of an azure blue. 

After a very brief passage they found themselves, just 
at evening, in the immediate neighborhood of the Baha- 
mas ; and at dawn a long line of keys lay before them, 
and presently they caught sight of cocoa groves and 
oceans of rich verdure, and then the spires of a city 
came in sight. 

" What island is this ? " asked Eugene, in great sur- 
prise ; for Captain Bradford had not intimated that he 
thought of calling at any port in the Bahamas. 

"New Providence," answered Mr. Morgan, who was 
standing near. 

" New Providence ! " exclaimed Chester. " Then the 
town we see is Nassau?" 

" Yes," was the reply. 

" Ah ! " cried Eugene, sarcastically, " we shall be very 
glad to see that place. Every Northerner has an abid- 
ing affection for Nassau. We cannot but remember her 
honest and disinterested conduct toward us during the 
civil war. She did more, I believe, to aid and abet the 
Confederates than any other place in the world." 

" She did her full share, surely," assented the Profes- 
sor ; " as did also St. George, the queer old town we 
visited the other day." 

" All the Bahamas belong to Great Britain, I believe?" 
said Chester. 



THE BAHAMAS. 75 

" Yes, and it is a great pity ; for naturally they apper- 
tain to our own country. A mere channel separates 
them from the coast of Florida." 

" How many do they number ? " 

"About six hundred, of which, however, only fifteen 
are inhabited, a great many of them being merely small 
rocky islets." 

" Which are the most important ? " 

" I am not sure that I can name them in their order," 
said the Professor; "but among them are Grand Baha- 
ma, Great and Little Abaco, Andros, Eluthera, and New 
Providence." 

" Yes," said Mr. Morgan, " and you might add San 
Salvador, Rum Cay, Crooked Cay, Long Island, Great 
Exuma, Watling Island, Atwood's Key, and Great and 
Little Inagua." 

" That makes up the fifteen," laughed Eugene. 

" I believe it does," said the mate. 

" The group spreads over a vast area, does it not ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Yes," answered the Professor ; " it is about six hun- 
dred miles long, and has an estimated area of upward 
of 3,000 square miles." 

" And are the inhabited islands thickly settled ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" They contain a population of not far from 40,000," 
was the reply, " the majority of whom are colored." 

" The islands are low and narrow, are they not ? " said 
Chester. 

" Yes, generally they are very flat, long, and narrow. 
They are formed of calcareous rock, with a light sandy 
soil, and are without running streams." 

" Then the people are not blessed with good water, I 
should say ? " 

" Yes ; for there are numerous springs on nearly all 
the Islands." 



76 THE BAHAMAS. 

" There 's another thing they are blessed with," said 
the mate, with animation ; " they have fruit in abund- 
ance." 

" True," assented the Professor ; " and in addition to 
pine-apples, oranges, lemons, limes, and a great variety 
of fruit, they produce vast quantities of maize, yams, 
sweet potatoes, and sugar-cane." 

" Then, too, there are valuable woods, like mahogany, 
lignum-vitae, and fustic," suggested Mr. Morgan. 

" And in the more southerly islands there are large 
salt ponds," added Chester. 

" Yes," said the Professor, " the principal exports are 
salt, sponge, pine-apples, and oranges." 

" But is n't it exceedingly hot here ? " asked Eugene, 
who dreaded anything above 90°. 

" It is quite warm at certain seasons of the year," was 
the reply ; " but not excessively hot ; indeed, the climate 
is salubrious, and very beneficial to consumptives." 

" The town, yonder, is the capital of the group, is it 
not?" asked Chester, pointing towards Nassau. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " and there the governor and 
his nine councilors reside." 

"Mr. Morgan, I noticed," said Chester, "mentioned 
San Salvador. I suppose that is the spot where Colum- 
bus first set his foot in the new world." 

" Yes, San Salvador, or, as the natives call it, Gua- 
naliani, was the first land discovered by Columbus in 
1492." 

" I have an idea that the people he found here were 
very different from the Indians "bf the north." 

"You are quite right; the natives of these islands 
were an inoffensive race, and the way they treated 
them is an eternal disgrace to the Spaniards." 

"What, did they kill them off at once?" asked 
Eusene. 



THE BAHAMAS. 77 

" They might as well have done so," answered the Pro- 
fessor ; " they carried them away to labor in the mines 
of San Domingo and the pearl fisheries of Cumana." 

" Do you mean to say they carried them all off ? " 

" Yes ; and the islands remained unoccupied till 1629, 
when the English settled them." 

" But England has not been in undisputed possession 
since that time," said Chester quickly. 

" No, indeed," rejoined the Professor ; " they were dis- 
possessed by the Spaniards in 1641, and after that the 
islands repeatedly changed masters until they were an- 
nexed permanently to the British Empire by the treaty 
of 1783." 

By this time they were in the vicinity of the lighthouse 
at the western end of Hog Island, and as Captain Brad- 
ford did not care to venture over the bar, they came to 
anchor. 

Hog Island is a beautiful coral islet, three miles long ; 
and as it lies in front of the harbor, it forms a natural 
breakwater, and so makes Nassau the best and safest 
port in all the Bahamas. 

With the least possible delay, the Professor and the 
brothers, accompanied by Captain Bradford, entered a 
boat, and were pulled up the harbor toward the town. 
Crafts of every description, manned by burly negroes, 
scantily dressed, dotted the woters about them, and 
presented an animated and ever-changing scene. On 
landing, amidst a crowd of noisy negroes, they found the 
streets, at least so far as the whiteness of the soil was 
concerned, the very counterparts of those of Hamilton ; 
but this they had in some measure become accustomed 
to, and so did not mind it much. They noticed, too, the 
high, white, garden walls which everywhere shut in the 
grounds, and oftentimes the dwellings, of the rich and 
well-to-do citizens, and marveled at the display of such 
poor taste and ostentatious exclusiveness. 



78 



THE BAHAMAS. 




They took up 
their quarters at 
the Royal Victoria 
Hotel, which occu- 
pies an elevated 
position,command- 
ing a magnificent 
view of a large 
portion of the city, 
the harbor, and the 
ocean l)eyond. Af- 
ter a most excel- 
lent breakfast, the 
Professor and his 
young companions 
started out on a 
grand excursion 
through the island, 
while Captain 
Bradford returned 
to the business part 
of the city to attend 
to certain impor- 
tant matters there. 

Our little party 
found the roads 
everywhere excel- 
lent, and the scene- 
ry charming. Here 
was a grove of 
graceful palms, 
gently swaying 
their undulating 
plum a g e in the 
morning breeze ; 



NEAK HAMILTON. 



THE BAHAMAS. 79 

there was a long stretch of forest trees, including the 
satin-wood, lignum-vitge,- yellow-wood, and even the cedar. 
Then they saw the bananna, mango, sapodilla, tamarind, 
cofiee-plant, orange, giiava, custard-apple, mammee, sugar- 
cane, and almost everj^ vegetable production of the tropics. 

At length, after a long and pleasant drive, they turned 
back, and reaching Nassau at a somewhat early hour in 
the afternoon, they decided to ramble about the city until 
six o'clock, when they had agreed to meet the Captain at 
the wharf. 

They found Duke street, and visited the Government 
House, taking particular notice of the colossal statue 
of Christopher Columbus, which adorns its approach. 
Behind this building they saw one of the most remark- 
able trees in the Bahamas. It was a singular specimen 
of the silk-cotton tree. Its roots extend nearly an eighth 
of a mile, and then shoot up into another grand specimen 
in the grounds of the very hotel where they had stopped, 
and in whose branches they had for a time rested them- 
selves, on a platform that had been constructed there. 

The silk-cotton attains a large size, not only reaching 
a considerable height, but spreading laterally over a wide 
surface. It is immensely large at the base, and presents 
a strange, not to say fantastic, appearance. The bolls 
are full of a soft, brown cotton, resembling floss silk, but 
not adhesive enough for use. 

At every turn they met tall and well-formed negroes 
and mulattoes, of every shade, from. a coal-black to a light 
cream, and, we are happy to add, found them very civil 
in their demeanor. Many of the mulattoes, they learned, 
give much attention to shell-work, in which they display 
considerable talent and skill. 

" What do all these fellows find to do ? and when do 
they do it ? " asked Eugene, when they had passed group 
after group of "tired darkies," sunning themselves on 



80 THE BAHAMAS. 

the corners or against the garden walls. " They are not 
all workers in shells, I suppose." 

" Hardly likely," smiled the Professor. " Some of them 
engage in wrecking, when the occasion presents itself, 
and one lucky hit may enable them to lie idle for a year 
afterwards. Others are employed in the sponge fishery, 
in which no less than five hundred crafts are engaged. 
Others, again, are employed about the docks and harbor ; 
but really, as sugar-cane forms the staple article of their 
food, and as they do not trouble themselves much about 
the future, there is no great necessity for them to work 
very much, and so, as you see, they spend a great deal of 
time in — " 

" Resting," laughed Eugene, and then added : 

" I suppose the sponge-yard here is quite a sight." 

" No doubt," said the Professor ; " and as it is not far 
from the point where we agreed to meet the Captain, we 
might visit it." 

" Let us do so," and then, as they started on : " What 
was that round, mosque-like building near the hotel ? I 
have seen nothing like it on the island." 

" It was once the jail," answered the Professor ; " and 
many a bloody-handed pirate has been confined there ; 
but now it is the public library, and contains, I am told, 
about 6,000 well-selected volumes." 

" I am glad to hear anything so favorable about this 
place," said Chester ; " for surely it is a good indication, 
when they turn a common jail into a public library." 

" I agree with you, my young friend, and in point of 
fact, there has been a vast improvement here of late. 
Never before, I think, has there been less crime to punish 
than now." 

" This was a great resort for pirates in the early days," 
remarked Eugene. 

"Yes; the very paradise of pirates, as one might say. 



THE BAHAMAS. 81 

They ruled here with a high hand. If they could n't buy 
up the governors, they captured them, and so knew no 
law but of their own making." 

" Many American tories settled here during and directly 
after the Revolution, I believe," said Chester. 

'" Yes ; and their descendants are here to this day." 

" And they, in connection with the English, sent out 
privateers against our commerce," exclaimed Eugene. 

'' Yes ; the port was a great resort for British pri- 
vateers." 

" As it was* during our late war, I suppose," said 
Eugene. 

" Yes ; but to no such extent." Then, after a moment's 
consideration, and a glance about him : " Why, young 
gentlemen, during the days of the Rebellion these streets 
and shops were packed with cotton from, and English 
goods bound to. Southern ports ; and on the verandas of 
the very hotel where we stopped, the captains and crews 
of blockade-runners, and others engaged in the business, 
played toss-penny with gold eagles ! " 

" Confound the British Government ! " growled Eugene. 

" Ah ! but for that, and some other irregularities per- 
mitted at the same time, she has since paid most roundly 
— millions, in fact." 

" And served her right, too," muttered Eugene. 

" Not a doubt of it, my young friend ; I fully agree 
with you." 

" But the home government ought not alone to have 
suffered ; this place — this conscienceless nest of mam- 
mon — ought to have received a special and terrible 
punishment. I wish — " 

" Ah, my young friend," interrupted the Professor, 
gravely, " an all-wise and just God, who permitted so 
much sorrow to come upon the mistaken South, did not 
pass over this culpable island, believe me." 
.4* 



82 THE BAHAMAS. 

, " What do you mean, Professor ?" 

" Why," exclaimed the Professor, with a comprehensive 
gesture, " see how cahn it is; how mild and -balmy the 
air ; how serene tlie sky ! So it was here all through the 
years of our great Civil War, — not a vessel lost — not a 
dollar's worth of property destroyed ' by the act of God.' 
But ah ! the day of wrath was coming ! The year after 
Lee surrendered, the most terrific hurricane known in 
these waters for a whole century, swept over this fair 
isle. The angry sea threw itself over Hog Island out 
yonder, in surges so enormous that the wayes Avashed the 
gallery of the lighthouse, sixty feet above the ground. 
Houses and forests were swept away before the wind like 
chaff; nothing, apparently, could withstand its tremen- 
dous force. In a few hours the city was like one shat- 
tered and swallowed up by an earthquake ; and the 
greater part of the wealth realized through our mis- 
fortunes had utterly vanished. The island has never 
recovered from the blow, and will not for years to come. 
Do you believe in a special providence ? I do. Mark 
what happened ! While almost all those who aided and 
abetted the South were stripped of their ill-gotten wealth, 
no Union man had his home destroyed, or suffered any 
serious loss. The residence of one, an Englishman, who 
would have nothing to do with any Confederate business, 
stood uninjured — there it stands to this day ! — while 
better and more substantial buildings on either side were 
scattered to i\\Q four winds of heaven ! " 

" Ah ! " exclaimed Eugene, with a sigh, " that must 
indeed have been the very wrath of God ! " 

During this conversation they had been passing from 
one street to another at a pretty rapid pace, and now they 
found themselves at the entrance to the sponge-yard. 

The enormous quantity of sponges gathered here aston- 
ished them; even the Professor was surprised. A large 



THE BAHAMAS. 83 

number of blacks were at work in the yard, the greater 
part of whom were women ; and Eugene was about to 
accost the onlj white person present, — evidently the 
overseer, who was superintending the shipment of some 
bales, — when he felt a hand upon his shoulder, and 
turning quickly, saw Captain Bradford's smiling face. 

" Come," said the Captain, " my business is finished, 
the boat is waiting, and I would like to save an hour or 
so, if possible." 

"Very well," said the Professor, coming up; "but how 
did you know where to find us ? " 

"Oh! I had an idea you would come here, — a sort of 
presentiment, I suppose," and- with a laugh, he led them 
away. 

After they were comfortably seated in the boat, and 
were swiftly gliding down the harbor, the Professor said : 

" We have enjoyed ourselves very much here, and I 
should have liked exceedingly to visit some of the other 
islands of the group, — Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, and 
Harbor Island. I should have liked, also, to see Hope- 
town, on Abaco, which, you know, is the home of the 
descendants of the buccaneers." 

"Is that so ?" exclaimed Eugene. "Let's go there. 
Captain." 

" Impossible," responded the Captain, shaking his head. 
" If we stop again in these waters, it will only be at 
Barbadoes, though, for some reasons, I should like very 
well to call at Fort Royal, in Martinique." 

" There are lots of other places I should like to see," 
mused Eugene. 

"No doubt," smiled Captain Bradford, "there is enough 
to interest one here in the West Indies for a lifetime. 
Think of the glories of Cuba, the wonders of Jamaica, 
all that may be seen and learned in Hayti and Santo 
Domingo. Then there is Puerto Rico, and St. Croix." 



84 THE BAHAMAS. 

" Yes," added Chester, " and all the Caribbee Islands, 
including Tobago and Trinidad." 

"Those are the Windward Islands," said the Professor; 
" and you must not forget the Leeward group, some of 
which, I am told, are well worth a visit." 

" But unfortunately the visit cannot be made at this 
time. Professor," said the Captain. 

" Of course not," assented the other, hastily ; " we have 
other business on hand just now." 

" Yes ; and I hope not to be obliged to stop again, more 
than once or twice at least, before we enter the Pacific." 

By this time they were alongside the yacht; and a 
moment later were on board. 

The Professor and Eugene remained on deck, to watch 
the receding island, as they steamed away ; but Chester 
at once plunged into the cabin. Presently he joined 
then on the quarter-deck, with a book under his arm. 

" Professor," he said, as he carefully opened the volume 
at a place he had marked, " didn't you tell us that Guana- 
hani was the first land seen by Columbus, and intimate 
that it was the true San Salvador ? " 

" Yes, I certainly did," was the reply. 

"And are you sure you were right in making that 
statement ? " 

"Why, really, I — but you have something there you 
want to read ; let us hear it before I answer." 

"Very well, this is what Mr. Benjamin says, and I 
should judge he had given the subject some attention: 

" ' South by east of Eleuthera is Cat Island, or Guana- 
hani, celebrated as the land first seen by Columbus, and 
called by him San Salvador.' " 

" Why," exclaimed Eugene, " that 's exactly what the 
Professor said." 

" But wait, Mr. Impetuous," laughed his brother, and 
then continuing, he read : " ' Most of our readers must 



THE BAHAMAS. 85 

here be prepared, however, for a surprise, when it is 
stated that in all probability it was not Cat Island which 
Columbus named San Salvador, but Watling's Island — a 
smaller isle a little more to the southward and eastward. 
The facts in the case are these : contrary, probably, to 
the general opinion, it has never been definitely known, 
which was the island entitled to the honor ; but about 
fifty years ago, when historians were busy with the voy- 
age of Columbus, they undertook to settle the question 
by comparing his journal with the imperfect charts of 
the Bahamas then existing. Navarette fixed on Turk's 
Island, which later investigation has proved to be erro- 
neous, while Irving, supported by the strong authority of 
Humboldt, argued for Cat Island, and since then this has 
been generally accepted as San Salvador, and it is so 
designated on our charts to this day. But the English 
reversed their opinion some time ago, and transferred 
the name of San Salvador to Watling's Island, and it will 
be so found on their latest charts. The reasons for this 
change seem conclusive. Lieutenant Beecher, of the 
English navy, proves conclusively that Cat Island cannot 
be San Salvador, and that Watling's Island answers the 
conditions required better than any other island lying in 
the track of Columbus. His strongest reasons against 
Cat Island are that Columbus states that he rowed around 
the northern end in one day. The size of Cat Island 
makes this physically impossible there, while it is quite 
feasible at the other island. He also speaks of a large 
lake in the interior. There is no such water on Cat 
Island, while such a lake does exist on Watling's Island.' " 

" There, Professor," exclaimed the reader, as he closed 
the book, " what have you to say to that ? " 

" In the first place," was the reply, " I beg your pardon 
for not having remembered Lieutenant Beecher's report, 
and the change that has been made on the British charts ; 



86 THE BAHAMAS. 

but you see I had accepted Irving's decision as final, 
backed up as it was by Humboldt, and so had not given 
later investigations the attention they deserved. I now, 
however, admit that Beecher and your writer make out a 
very good case, and I shall look into the subject further 
at the earliest opportunity." 

"Really, Professor," said Eugene, gravely — for he saw 
their good friend was a little disturbed — " I 'm inclined 
to think Chester has the best of it this time." 

" I am not sure but he has, myself," muttered the Pro- 
fessor, as he started from his seat and hurried toward the 
companion-way. 



CHAPTER YI. 

MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

THE next day, when they were once more assembled 
on the quarter-deck, Eugene, after fixing himself as 
comfortably as possible, turned to the palaeontologist and 
said : 

"Professor, Captain Bradford remarked yesterday that 
he would like very much to call at Martinique. Now, 
while I suppose there is no likelihood of his doing so, I 
am sure we should all be glad to hear something about 
that interesting and romantic island." 

" You are quite right in calling it interesting and 
romantic," replied the Professor ; "for in fact there are 
very few places of its size that are more so." 

" I think it is the most picturesque island of the Lesser 
Antilles," said Captain Bradford, emphatically. " The 
coast scenery is wild and savage beyond description, 
while the interior is like fairy-land." 

" It is of volcanic origin, is it not ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes," answered the Professor ; " and contains at least 
five or six extinct craters, and some magnificent moun- 
tains, one of which, Mont Pel6e, is nearly 4,500 feet in 
height." 

" There are no active volcanoes at present, then," said 
Eugene. 

"No, Mr. Pierpont," responded the Captain, "there are 
no active volcanoes ; but they have earthquakes at fre- 
quent intervals, some of which have been disastrous, I 
can tell you." 

(87) 



08 MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

"The island is of quite fair size, if I remember rightly," 
said Chester. 

" It is forty-five miles long, and at one point fifteen 
miles wide," replied the Professor, " It contains three 
hundred and eighty-one square miles, and a population of 
154,000." 

" The soil must be very productive." 

" It is exceedingly so ; and about one-third of the sur- 
face is under cultivation." 

"I suppose the products are very much the same as 
those of the other West Indian islands." 

" Yes ; though I believe they export more cotton, indigo, 
and ginger than any of the Bahamas." 

" I have heard bad reports of the climate," said Eugene. 

" The climate is humid," responded the Professor, " and 
the average fall of rain is eighty-four inches. The year 
is divided into two seasons, one commencing about Octo- 
ber 15th, and lasting nine months, and the other com- 
prising the rest of the year. During the latter season 
the rains are abundant, and yellow fever and similar 
diseases prevail." 

" With so large a population and such a productive 
soil, they must have a pretty active commerce," said 
Chester. 

" Yes," assented the Professor ; " but it is chiefly with 
France." 

" And a big thing it is for France, too," said Morgan, 
who had just joined them. " Why, the value of the 
import and export trade of France with Martinique last 
year was upwards of 50,000,000 francs. 

" I suppose, then," suggested Eugene, " France keeps a 
pretty tight hold of the island." 

" There is a governor, a privy council of seven mem- 
bers, and a colonial council of thirty members, elected 
for five years," said the Professor ; " and it is fair to 



MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. ' 89 

suppose that the first and second of these, at least, are 
the friends of the home government." 

" But, Professor," said the Captain, " since 1866 the 
colony has legislated for itself on duties and public 
works." 

" That is true," assented the Professor ; " and in 1875 
they built a railway from Fort de France, the capital, to 
St. Pierre, the largest town." 

" Did not Columbus himself discover Martinique ? " 
' asked Chester, presently. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " in 1502." 

" St. Pierre is a very beautiful place, I am told," said 
Eugene, musingly. 

" Few cities in the world are more beautiful, or more 
delightfully situated," exclaimed Captain Bradford, enthu- 
siastically. " It is simply enchanting ; there is beauty on 
every hand." 

" Ah ! but the climate," objected Eugene. 

" The climate of St. Pierre, my dear sir, is equally 
attractive for at least eight months of the year." 

" Chester," said his brother, " when we return from 
the Pacific, we must visit St. Pierre during those eight 
months." 

" We will," nodded Chester. 

" You could n't do better, gentlemen," said Morgan, 
decidedly ; " and be sure to make your first approach 
from the sea, for the view of the city from the harbor is 
truly superb. It always reminds me of Algiers and 
Genoa ; for being built on sloping land, the streets, which 
follow the coast-line, rise one above the other, so that the 
upper ones look down upon the water from an elevation 
of between two and three hundred feet." 

"One very pleasant and agreeable thing about the 
city," said the Captain, " is the canals of pure water 
which flow through every street." 



90 ^ MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

" Yes," exclaimed Morgan ; " and that reminds me of 
the fountain in the center of the Place Bertin." 

" Ah ! to be sure," assented the Captain ; " that is an 
elegant affair — a great ornament and a great blessing to 
the city." 

" It was the gift of a colored man, a former mayor, I 
was told," said the mate. 

" Yes, a very worthy gentleman he was. But that was 
a strange freak which marked its inauguration." 

" I do not remember to have heard of it." 

" Before the water was turned on," said the Captain, 
" vast quantities of claret were emptied into the mains 
above the fountain, so that when the pressure of the water 
came, the bronze nymph's basket overflowed with wine, 
and the great dolphins spouted the same ruby fluid." 

"Gracious! I hope it wasn't all wasted," exclaimed 
Eugene, quickly. 

" Not all," said the Captain, " for the poor people had 
received a hint of what might be expected to happen, and 
were on hand with their pitchers, and all manner of 
vessels ; and they believe a miracle was performed at 
the inauguration, to this day." 

" But wine isn't the only strange thing the fountain 
has discharged," said the mate. " At certain seasons it 
throws forth myriads of living fish, each from half an 
inch to an inch in length, their bodies as transparent as 
crystal, with the exception of the head, which is of a 
dark color." 

" That must be an extraordinary sight," exclaimed 
Chester. 

" It is, indeed," rejoined the mate ; " and a beautiful 
one, too ; for when the sunlight strikes the jets of water 
at such times, it seems as though millions of precious 
stones were flashing through the air, splashing down into 
the marble basin, and being swept off into the swiftly 
flowing canals." 



MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 



91 



"What are these little, crystal-like fish?" 
" The people call them ' titirie.' I suppose they are a 
species of the minnow, such as we call shiners. They 




are very plentiful in the mountain streams from which 
the fountain is fed; and I was told that at the season 
when they begin to make their way down toward the sea, 
they are scooped up in great quantities with anything 



92 MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

that comes handy — an old hat, a sheet, a handkerchief, 
or bucket — and sold in the market by rneasm-e. They 
are considered a great delicacy when fried in oil." 

" I should like to see that wonderful fountain," said 
Eugene ; " and I suppose there are still other attractions." 

" Yes, indeed," answered the mate; "magnificent boule- 
vards — the best drives in the world, and, ah ! the public 
garden — the beautiful Jardin des Plantes ! " 

" Why," said Eugene, " it seems to me this place must 
be about perfect." 

" Alas," observed the Captain, " perfection is not of 
this earth. There is no rose without its thorn, and the 
beautiful Jardin des Plantes, otherwise perfect, contains 
one of the most dreaded reptiles on earth — a serpent 
called the ' iron lance.' " 

" The iron lance ! I never heard of it. Is it common 
on the island, Captain ? " 

" Yes ; and about eight hundred persons are bitten by 
it every year." 

" Is its bite always fatal ? " 

"No, about seventy cases prove fatal ; but many others 
result in nervous diseases which are almost as bad as 
death." 

" Hum ! I don't seem to care so much about seeing 
Martinique as I did," muttered Eugene. 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the mate ; " but there is one reason 
why you should visit the island that has not yet been 
mentioned." 

" What is it, Mr. Morgan ? " 

" The mangoes." 

" Mangoes ? " 

" Yes ; or rather, tlie mango — the mango d'or." 

" That 's a fruit peculiar to the tropics, isn't it ? " 

" Aye ; and 8ueh a fruit ! " 

" Somethino; out of the common, then." 



MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 93 

" I should say so ! It weighs from twelve to sixteen 
ounces, the pulp is deep yellow in color, and of the con- 
sistency of ice cream. A delicious aroma exhales from 
it, and then the taste ! " 

" Oh, for a mango d'or ! " exclaimed Eugene. 

" You may well say so," observed the Captain ; " for 
to partake of one in full perfection is the greatest luxury 
of tropical life." 

" You ought to tell them about the old jail, Captain," 
suggested Mr, Morgan. 

"I would like to do so," was the reply, "for it has a 
most curious history ; but it is impossible now." 

" I should like very much to hear it," said Eugene. 

"And so should I," added his brother. 

"You ought to do so," said the mate ; " and learn how 
Cammie Mallie, its black owner, gave that and, indeed, 
all his property, to the city, after he was dead." 

" After he was dead ! " cried Eugene. " Oh ! you mean 
by will, I suppose." 

" Nothing of the kind. The city officials had a notary 
seat himself by the dead man's coffin, and in their 
presence, and in the presence of a vast number of super- 
stitious witnesses, put the question, ' Is it your will, 
Cammie Mallie, that the city of St. Pierre should be the 
legal heir to all your property, both real and personal ? ' 
The dead man raised his right hand and nodded his head 
in token of assent. The notary made a record of the 
important facts, signed and sealed the document in 
the presence of the authorities and the witnesses, and 
the government immediately entered upon possession 
of the property." 

" The city of St. Pierre had pretty shrewd officials in 
those days," remarked Eugene, dryly. 

" Just so," assented the mate ; " but as a general thing 
the people of Martinique are strictly honest. The house 



94 MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

doors are seldom locked by day, and visitors may enter 
at will. The family usually live on the second floor, and 
the servants in a kitchen in the rear yard. Visitors, 
therefore, have to make their presence known by ringing 
a bell which they find on a table in the front room." 

" That speaks well for them, and I am glad to hear it," 
said Chester. " There is some high-toned society in the 
island, I am told." 

" As good as you will find anywhere," said the Captain, 
warmly. " Great attention is paid to education among 
the whites, the sons and daughters of the wealthy being 
sent to France, while others receive excellent training 
on the island. In society Parisian etiquette is rigidly 
enforced." 

" Is Fort de France as attractive as St. Pierre ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" Perhaps not," was the reply ; " but it is a very 
attractive place." 

" There is one thing there well worth seeing," said the 
mate ; " the beautiful statue of the Empress Josephine." 

" Yes, indeed," assented the Captain ; " it was presented 
to the island by the late Emperor, Napoleon III. It is of 
very graceful proportions. The right hand holds a bou- 
quet of flowers ; the left, the portrait of the Emperor. 
The head is turned to Trois Isles, the place of her birth, 
which lies opposite the city, and upon which her eyes are 
fixed as if absorbed in thought." 

" Martinique will always be chiefly celebrated as the 
birthplace of Josephine," said Chester. 

" Yes," acquiesced the Captain ; " and there are many 
interesting traditions of her early life treasured by the 
people there." 

" But she was not the only daughter of the isle who 
left her home to share a throne," remarked the Professor. 

" I never heard of another," said Eugene, with interest. 



MAETINIQUE — BAEBADOES. 95 

" Aim^e Dubuc de Rivery," said the Professor, " was a 
very beautiful girl, whose story is even more romantic 
than that of Josephine. At an early age she was sent 
to France to be educated. Having finished her course 
of studies she embarked for her native land. Off the 
island of Majorca the vessel was attacked and captured 
by pirates, who took Aimee Dubuc de Rivery prisoner, 
and sold her as a slave to the Dey of Algiers. He, 
unable to obtain her love, sent her as a rare present to 
the Sultan of Turkey, Selim III., who made her his sul- 
tana, under the name of Validi. On the death of her 
husband, her son, as Mahmoud H,, reigned over the 
Turkish Empire." 

" I have heard a great deal about sorcery, or obeah, 
being practiced in Martinique," said Chester. " Do you 
know anything about it. Professor ? " 

" I know this," was the reply. " Obeah always has 
been, and continues to be practiced there, in spite of 
all the efforts of the civil and religious authorities for 
its suppression." 

" The obeah man is generally a pretty clever rascal, 
then, I conclude ? " 

" Yes, indeed, and is held in great dread and venera- 
tion by those over whom he is supposed to hold a mys- 
terious power for good or evil." 

" Such a superstition must be an unmitigated curse 
to any people." 

" It is ; and it is greatly to be regretted that it cannot 
be effectually wiped out." 

"But it is not peculiar to Martinique?" said Eugene. 

" By no means," responded the Professor ; " it is com- 
mon to all the West Indies. And not only that, it holds 
sway throughout negrodom in Africa, and, to a greater 
or less extent, wherever the black man has been trans- 
planted." 



96 MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

" Yes," said the Captain, " I have heard much of it in 
our Southern States, especially those bordering the guK." 

" But I never hear anything of it in the North," re- 
marked Mr. Morgan. 

" No," began the Professor. But just here the mate, 
and shortly afterwards the Captain, being called forward, 
the conversation took a different turn, and presently the 
Professor retired to his state-room. 

The next day the Captain informed his passengers 
that he had definitely concluded it was wholly out of 
the question to stop at Martinique ; and so their thoughts 
at once turned to Barbadoes. 

" It is one of the most important of the Caribbean 
group, is it not. Professor ? " asked Eugene. 

" It is," was the reply, " and for several reasons : In 
the first place, although situated but 13° north of the 
equator, the climate, though warm, is not excessively 
so. It is remarkably healthy, having very few swamps 
or tracts of marshy land, so common to most of the other 
islands of the group ; a result attributable also to the 
superior cultivation of the soil, which is extremely pro- 
ductive, and, with very trifling exception, almost every 
where under tillage ; and though the surface is gener- 
ally flat, a short range of hills, called after their highest 
point. Mount Hillaby, 1,147 feet above the sea, is found 
sufficient to keep the temperature of the climate at a 
healthy standard." 

" How large is the island, Professor ? " 

" It is twenty-two miles long and between fourteen 
and fifteen broad, and contains an area of one hundred 
and sixty-six square miles." 

" It is oval in form, then ? " 

" Very nearly." 

" What is the population ? " 

" Not far from 153,000 ; or, about 922 to the square 
mile." 



MABTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 97 

" Nine hundred and twenty-two to the square mile ! " 
exclaimed Chester, in astonishment. " That is fearfully 
dense." 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " the population of Bar- 
badoes is denser than that of any other country in the 
world, except Malta." 

" That is astonishing," said Chester. 

"Astonishing, but true," rejoined the Professor. 

" I suppose the blacks are greatly in the majority ? " 

" As a matter of course. The figures at the last cen- 
sus were 16,594 whites, 36,118 of mixed race, and very 
nearly 100,300 blacks. The fact is, there appears to 
have been no increase in the white population for almost 
a hundred years, while the colored or mixed portion has 
multiplied fifteen fold." 

"No increase in the white population for almost a 
hundred years ! " repeated Eugene, incredulously. 

" None of any account," said the Professor ; " for I 
find that in 1788 the white population was 16,127." 

" Well," said Chester, " if the whites have n't multi- 
plied, the colored people have increased fast enough to 
make up." 

" They have, indeed," assented their friend. 

" Do all the inhabitants find it easy to get a living on 
the island ? " asked Eugene. 

" Oh, yes," was the reply ; " with a good soil it is easy 
to support a vast number of people." 

" What are the chief products ? " 

" Sugar, rum, aloes, ginger, cotton, and some amount 
of arrowroot." 

" You said. Professor," interposed Chester, " that the 
surface is generally flat ; still, is it not true that in cer- 
tain parts it is more or less broken ? " 

" The island," answered the Professor, " is divided by 
a deep valley into two parts. Near the center of the 
5 



98 MAKTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

northern and larger part is Mount Hillaby, already 
mentioned. From the west coast the gromid rises in 
successive terraces, broken by ravines, to the central 
ridge, from which hills of a conical form radiate in a 
northeast direction to the seashore. The northwestern 
and southern parts of the island consist of rocks of 
coralline limestone with beds of calcareous marl ; the 
eastern part is composed of strata of silicious sandstone, 
intermixed with ferruginous matter, clay, marl, minute 
fragments of pumice, strata of volcanic ashes, seams of 
bitumen, and springs of petroleum." 

" Petroleum ! I had no idea there was petroleum to 
be found in the island," said Eugene. 

" Yes," said the Professor ; " and there are several 
chalybeate springs, containing chiefly iron, carbonic acid, 
and fixed alkali, in different proportions." 

" Are there any good harbors ? " asked Chester. " I 
think I have heard there is at least one." 

" Carlisle Bay," said the Captain, " is the port and 
harbor of Barbadoes. It is a spacious, open roadstead, 
capable of containing from five hundred to six hundred 
vessels ; but unfortunately it is exposed to southern and 
southwestern winds. Then there is another bad feature : 
the island is encircled by coral reefs, which in some parts 
extend seaward for three miles, and are extremely dan- 
gerous to navigation." 

" Another serious drawback," added the Professor, " is 
that the island is greatly exposed to hurricanes. One of 
these, in October, 1780, destroyed almost every building, 
and about 4,000 lives. During another, in August, 1831, 
the loss of life was between 2,500 and 5,000, and the 
destruction of property more than |!8,000,000." 

" Are there any fine cities, like St. Pierre and Fort de 
France ? " asked Eugene. 

" There are four very pleasant towns ; but no one of 
them, I think, as attractive as either of those you name." 



MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 99 

" The capital is Bridgetown, I believe ? " 

" Yes ; and being the seat of government for the Wind 
ward Islands, is a place of considerable importance." 

" What is the population ? " 

" Between 25,000 and 30,000." 

" It is not the oldest town, I think, Professor ? " re- 
marked Chester. 

" No," was the reply ; " during the corrupt period of 
the first James, many of the British colonies in the New 
World were presented as gifts to the courtiers and favor- 
ites of the monarch, Barbadoes being given to the Earl of 
Carlisle, who laid the foundation of the first settlement, 
which he called Jamestown, and which is now the second 
town of the colony." 

" Did the island remain long in the possession of the 
Earls of Carlisle?" 

" It did not ; and in the reign of Charles II. it was 
re-invested in the crown." 

"I suppose the government is similar to that of the 
other British colonies." 

" Yes ; and the governor also enjoys the distinction 
of being governor-general of the islands of Grenada, 
St. Vincent, Tobago, Trinidad, and St, Lucia." 

"When and by whom was the island discovered?" 
asked Eugene. 

" I cannot answer that question exactly," replied the 
Professor ; " but probably it was discovered some time in 
the sixteenth century by the Portuguese." 

" They made no attempt to settle it," said Chester. 

" No ; for when it was visited by the English in 1605, 
it. was uninhabited and covered with dense forests." 

"I suppose the English, as usual, lost no time in taking 
possession and starting a colony ? " 

" I presume they lost no time in claiming ownership ; 
but it was not until 1625 that they founded their first 
colony, which consisted of forty whites and seven negroes." 



loo MAETINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

" And they have held possession ever since ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " though the Dutch made a 
fruitless attempt to seize the island in 1665, and the 
blacks have formed three plots, one as late as 1825, to 
take possession." 

The run to Barbadoes was neither as rapid nor as 
pleasant as the passage from Bermuda to Nassau had 
been, owing to contrary Avinds and a sudden storm which 
overtook them ; so that their stay in Carlisle Bay was 
shortened to less than twenty-four hours. However, the 
trio of passengers made the most of their time, and saw 
all it was possible to see of the island in so brief a period. 

Hardly had they again reached the deck of the Alba- 
tross when her anchors were raised, and she steamed 
out of the roadstead. 

A long passage was now before them. They would not 
stop again until they reached the bay of Rio de Janeiro, 
where the Captain proposed to call for fuel and pro- 
visions, and in the hope of hearing news from home. 
Naturally, this last consideration turned their thoughts 
toward those they had left behind them, and the solitary 
one they were going to seek. For several days they 
speculated on what might prove to be their best plan 
after they had once entered the broad Pacific, and Eugene, 
especially, pored over the many excellent charts of that 
ocean with which the yacht was furnished, spending, 
indeed, more than half his time in the fascinating occu- 
pation. As the days passed, Professor Singleton gave 
more and more attention to his favorite stud}- : the 
science of the ancient life of the earth, and to his grow- 
ing collection of fossils, which were the remains of such 
life. Chester selected the best works he could find in 
the yacht's library treating on the island world, and the 
countries they were likely to visit during the cruise, 



MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 



101 




EOREST-SCENE, CAKIBBEE ISLES. 



102 MARTINIQUE — BARBADOES. 

and buried himself in their pages. The Captain and 
Mr. Morgan had enough to do to look after the yacht 
and make everything " ship shape " for their proposed 
stop at Rio. 

Day after day they sailed steadily on, still absorbed 
in their several occupations, until one morning they 
woke up to the fact that they were drawing near to 
port. From the chilliness of an early New England 
spring, they had sailed to the Fairy Isles of the Atlantic, 
and from thence into the summer of the world, had 
crossed the equator, and now beheld the stars that 
looked down upon another hemisphere. The next day 
they would be at rest in the magnificent bay of Rio 
de Janeiro. 



CHAPTER VII. 

RIO DE JANEIRO — THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 

THEY were all on deck bright and early the next 
morning, to see the scene which is presented by 
the most pictm^esque harbor in the world. Soon the 
sublime spectacle was before them. A wild confusion of 
huge granite mountains springing from the very water's 
edge ; hills and islands crowned with fortresses and 
heavy guns ; ravines where palm trees grew and villages 
nestled ; gray and serrated mountains, with bare uplifted 
heads, to the westward ; in front, a mass of naked gran- 
ite 1,500 feet high, springing almost perpendicularly to 
the clouds, and beyond it the city, with domes and 
towers and citadel. Such was the sight that met their 
admiring gaze. 

A fleet of merchant ships from every nation in the 
world rode at anchor on the placid waters of the bay. 
From several formidable iron-clads and grim-looking 
men-of-war. flew the green flag of Brazil. The elegant 
white-and-gold yacht of the Emperor was anchored 
near by. A large barge, pulled by a score of brawny 
men, was just putting off from a frigate for the shore. 
The hum of business came from the city, and the song 
of the sailors, at their work on the ships, sounded over 
the bay. Little steam-launches and sail-boats shot hither 
and thither, and every where were bustle and animation 
and beauty. 

Here was the great mart of Brazil. From here to all 
parts of the world the merchant fleets were waiting to 

(103) 



104 KIO DE JANEIRO. 

bear the rich products of this rich empire. But of all 
the ships that rode at anchor before the city only one 
or two flew the American flag. There were great steam- 
ships flying the flags of England, Germany, France, 
Italy, and Spain, but the Albatross was the only one that 
flew the stars and stripes. Here is food for reflection 
for the patriotic American. 

The harbor is not only the most picturesque, but is 
one of the finest in the world, and can scarcely be 
excelled for capaciousness and the security which it 
affords to vessels of ev^ery description. The entrance 
into it from the sea does not extend a mile from point 
to point, but it afterwards widens to from three to nine 
miles, penetrating inland at least fifteen miles, and, as 
already intimated, is intersected in every direction with 
heavy batteries ; all the numerous little islands by which 
it is interspersed, and most of which are highly culti- 
vated, being crowned with cannon, the system of forti- 
fications having been designed to be impregnable. Just 
within and nearly midway of the entrance is an isolated 
rock, also fortified. 

At the earliest possible moment Captain Bradford and 
his three passengers entered a boat and were pulled up 
the harbor. Having landed, .their first care was to 
inquire for letters at the office of the representative of 
the United States. They found several awaiting them, 
one of which interested them greatly. It was from Pro- 
fessor Timothy Pierpont, and informed them that he 
had just received word from a party in Callao, stating 
that Lyman Pierpont was then at that place, that he 
was talking of a business trip to the Galapagos Islands, 
after which he intended to settle either on one of the 
Tonga group, or on Nukahiva, one of the Marquesas 
Islands. 

"Oh," exclaimed Eugene, "if we could only reach 



RIO DE JANEIKO. 107 

Callao before lie leaves ! Captaiiij you will make all 
haste, I know ? How soon can you get away from Rio ? " 

" Certainly I will make all reasonable haste," an- 
swered the Captain ; " but sometimes, you know, the old 
adage, ' more haste, less speed,' holds good, and that is 
the case with us now. We should n't make much by 
getting to sea before we were ready to start. And 
then," he added, " now that we are on the track of 
your uncle, I hardly think we shall lose him. If we 
don't find him at Callao, we may on one of the Gala- 
pagos Islands, and if not there, at least, among the 
Tongans or the Marquesans." 

"That is true," exclaimed Chester. 

"Yes," assented Eugene, "you are right. Captain." 

" I am glad you agree with me," said the Captain. 
" And now take a look about you. See all that is worth 
seeing in the city and vicinity ; and be on board again 
three days hence, when, God willing, we shall start 
for the Strait of Magellan." 

" But shall we not see you in the meantime. Cap- 
tain?" asked the Professor. 

" I shall be pretty busy," was the reply ; " but I will 
try to hunt you up occasionally, so leave word at the 
hotel or with our minister, where you are likely to be 
found." 

"All right," responded the brothers. And so they 
separated- 

The city stands on a tongue of land, close to the 
shore, on the west side of the bay, and at the foot of 
several high mountains which rise behind it. The trav- 
elers found the streets straight, well paved, and hav- 
ing excellent sidewalks. They noticed that the houses 
were generally built of stone or brick. They saw nu- 
merous convents and churches, all well-built, but gloomy 
and loaded with ornaments without taste. They found 
5* 



108 RIO DE JANEIRO. 

the cathedral, and admired its superior style of archi- 
tecture. They saw the other public buildings, includ- 
ing the naval and military arsenal, a public hospital, a 
national library, colleges, and other educational estab- 
lishments, several scientific institutions, a museum of 
natural history, and the theaters. 

The imperial library, which contains 100,000 volumes, 
they learned was formerly the royal library of Portugal, 
and that it was brought from Lisbon by the emigrating 
royal family. It possesses, among other treasures, the 
only complete series of Diirer's woodcuts of the " Pas- 
sion of Christ." 

They spent much time on the main street, the Rua de 
Vereito, which runs parallel with the beach, and from 
which the minor streets branch off at right angles, and 
are intersected by others at regular distances. They 
soon came upon the imperial palace, which fronts on the 
beach, and is seen to best advantage from the landing. 
They saw, too, and greatly admired the well-constructed 
sea-wall along the water front of the city, beside which 
the largest vessels may lie. During their stay they 
visited Ilha das Cobras, off the northeastern extremity 
of the city, and saw the wonderful dry dock excavated 
from the solid rock, and capable of admitting a vessel 
280 feet long and of twenty-eight feet draught; and a 
much larger one near it. They also visited the two 
public gardens, and saw the far-famed Avenue of Palms. 
In short, they spent the three days of their sojourn very 
pleasantly and profitably, and were only sorry when the 
time came for them to return to their old quarters on 
board the Albatross. 

" What a vast amount of shipping there is here," 
remarked Eugene, as they were being pulled to the yacht; 
" it seems as though there were many more vessels than 
when we arrived." 




AVENUE OF PALMS. 



mo DE JANEIRO. Ill 

" It may be so," replied the Professor ; " the city, you 
see, is the chief market of Brazil, and especially of the 
provinces of Minas Geraes, San Paulo, Govazes, Cayaba, 
and Corritiva. The mining districts, being by far the 
most populous, require, of course, the greatest proportion 
of consumable goods, and, in return, send their most 
valuable articles of commerce here ; hence the busy rail- 
way trains, and innumerable troops of mules we saw 
continually traveling to and from those districts." 

" What are the chief importations. Professor ? " asked 
Chester. 

" They consist of dried beef, tallow, hides, grain, salted 
provisions, flour, household furniture, pitch, tar, wax, oil, 
sulphur, woods, and wine. And the exports are cotton, 
sugar, rum, ship-timber, various fine cabinet woods, hides, 
tallow, indigo, and coarse cotton cloths." 

" You forget the precious metals, Professor," suggested 
the Captain, who was with them. 

" Ah ! to be sure," was the reply ; " among the more 
precious articles are gold, diamonds, topazes (of various 
colors), amethysts, tourmalines, chrysoberyls, aqua-ma- 
rines, and wrought jewelry." 

" Gracious ! " exclaimed Eugene ; " with such attrac- 
tions, no wonder Rio is a large city." 

" What is the population ?" asked Chester. 

"Not far from 280,000; perhaps 290,000," was the 
answer. 

They were now alongside the yacht, and a little later 
were standing on the quarter-deck. 

There was some delay in getting under way, but in 
the course of an hour or so, they were steaming past the 
isolated rock just within and midway of the entrance, 
and were soon standing out to sea. 

Their course was now laid for the Strait of Magellan ; 
and the Captain informed his passengers that they would 
most likely catch a glimpse of the Falkland Islands. 



112 FALKLAND ISLANDS. 

" The Falkland Islands ! " exclaimed Eugene ; " another 
of the possessions of Great Britain, I believe." 

" Yes," said the Professor, " they belong to Great Brit- 
ain; but I can assure you she does not realize a very 
large revenue from them." 

" They are not far from the Strait, Captain ? " said 
Chester. 

" No," was the reply ; " only about three hundred miles 
due east." 

" Let me see ; there are only a few of the islands ? " 
said Eugene. 

" On the contrary," responded the Professor, " there 
are quite two hundred of them." 

" Two hundred ! " 

" Yes ; with an area of 7,600 square miles, — a little 
more than half the size of Ireland, — and a population of 
eight hundred and twelve souls." 

" But most of the islands must be quite small." 

" Yes ; all but two are very small. East Falkland is 
ninety miles long and forty miles broad, and contains 
3,000 square miles. West Falkland, separated from the 
former by a channel from two and a half to eighteen 
miles broad, called Falkland Sound, is eighty miles long 
and twenty-five broad, and contains about 2,300 square 
miles." 

" What are the names of some of the other islands ? " 
asked Chester. 

" The other principal islands are Great Swan, Saunders, 
Pebble, Keppel, Eagle, Weddell, and Lively." 

"Are there any good features about the. group?" 
inquired Eugene. 

There are many good bays and inlets, and a few rivers, 
— one, the San Carlos, being thirty miles long. The 
valleys of the streams are exceedingly rich. The climate 
is like that of England, but more equable." 



FALKLAND ISLANDS. 113 

" The climate like that of England ! " exclaimed Eugene ; 
" you astonish me, Professor." 

. " Nevertheless, it is true," asserted the Professor ; " the 
temperature of summer ranges from 45° to 70° F., and 
that of winter from 30° to 50°. The mean temperature 
of the year is 47°." 

" I thought the islands were a miserable lot," said 
Eugene, " with a barren, broken surface, and bleak hills 
and mountains." 

" The whole aspect of the group is dreary and uninvit- 
ing," said the Captain, emphatically. "There are no 
trees, and scarcely anything else but grass." 

" Then there is grass ? " said Eugene. 

" Yes ; and it grows to a great length, and, I have been 
informed, possesses remarkably nutritious properties." 

" Then, too," added the Professor, " there are several 
kinds of bushes ; the common garden vegetables of Eng- 
land thrive ; barley and oats are cultivated, but wheat, I 
must confess, is raised with difficulty." 

" Are there any quadrupeds indigenous to the islands ?" 
asked Chester. 

" One," answered the Professor ; " the warrah or wolf 
fox, which is peculiar to the group. Darwin, if you 
remember, mentions it," 

" There are other animals, are there not ? I think I 
have read of the wild horses of Falkland." 

" Yes ; horses, sheep, hogs, and rabbits have been left 
here by Europeans, and in East Falkland there are many 
thousand wild cattle, sprung from stock thus introduced. 
Then seals and wild fowl are found ; and many American 
and other vessels hunt the black whale off the west coast 
of West Falkland." 

" Are there any towns or villages ? " asked Eugene. 

" There is a British colony called Stanley, at the head 
of Port William inlet, on East Falkland. It has an 



114 FALKLAND ISLANDS. 

excellent harbor, and is the only settlement on the whole 
group." 

" What does the British Government want of the 
islands, any way ? " asked Eugene. " Anything more 
than the glory of holding them ? " 

" Their main object in keeping up the establishment 
at Port William Inlet," answered the Professor, " is to 
afford ships a place of call for water and fresh pro- 
visions." 

" Well, that's a good Christian reason, any how." 

"I agree with you," said the Professor. 

" So do I," exclaimed the Captain. " And being a 
sailor, I can fully appreciate the advantages of such a 
port of call as Stanley." 

" Who discovered the group ? " asked Chester. 

" John Davis," responded the Professor, " in August, 
1592. And they were visited a century later by Strong, 
who called the sound Falkland, and the islands after- 
ward took the same name. The French, the English, 
and the Spaniards planted colonies on the islands, and 
some blood was shed. Alluding to this, Darwin says : 
'After the possession of these miserable islands had 
been contested by France, Spain, and England, they 
were left uninhabited. The Government of Buenos 
Ayres then sold them . to a private individual, but like- 
wise used them, as old Spain had done before, for a 
penal settlement. England claimed her right, and seized 
them. The Englishman who was left in charge of the 
flag was consequently murdered. A British officer was 
next sent, unsupported by any power; and when we 
arrived, we found him in charge of a population, of 
which rather more than half were runaway rebels and 
murderers.' " 

" But the United States had a finger in the pie at 
one time, I believe," said Captain Bradford. 



FALKLAND ISLANDS. 115 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " Buenos Ayres took 
possession in 1820, and founded a colony in 1823, which, 
in consequence of a dispute, was destroyed in 1831, by 
the United States. It was shortly after this that the 
group was given up to the English." 

While the Professor was speaking, Chester had beck- 
oned to the steward, who was passing, and whispered 
to him. He at once hurried to the cabin, and now 
returning, handed the young man a book. 

" This is Darwin," said Chester, as he opened the 
volume, " and I want to know just what he says about 
these islands. Ah, here it is : 

" ' An undulating land, with a desolate and wretched 
aspect, is everywhere covered by a peaty soil and wiry 
grass, of one monotonous brown color. Here and there 
a peak or ridge of gray quartz rock, breaks through 
the smooth surface. Every one has heard of the cli- 
mate of these regions ; it may be compared to that 
which is experienced at the height of between one and 
two thousand feet, on the mountains of North Wales ; 
having, however, less sunshine and less frost, but more 
wind and rain.' " 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the professor, " but there is a foot- 
note, is n't there ? Be kind enough to read that." 

" Here it is," said Chester, and he read : 

" ' From accounts published since our voyage, and 
more especially from several interesting letters from 
Capt. Sullivan, R. N., employed on the survey, it ap- 
pears that we took an exaggerated view of the badness 
of the climate of these islands. But when I reflect on 
the almost universal covering of peat, and on the fact 
of wheat seldom ripening here, I can hardly believe 
that the climate in summer is so fine and dry as it has 
lately been represented."- 

" I don't see as that helps you much, Professor," said 
Eugene, slyly. 



116 FALKLAND LSLANDS. 

" But you see what Capt. Sullivan and others think," 
urged the Professor. 

" Yes, and what Darwin thinks, too," retorted the 
y-oung man. 

" Well," said the other, " you must remember I 
haven't claimed the islands were a paradise. I only 
say they are not as black as they have been painted. 
And now, Chester, seeing that you have Darwin, suppose 
you read us what he says about killing one of the 
wild cattle." 

" I have it right here," said Chester. 

" Then let us have it," laughed his brother. And 
Chester read : 

" In the evening we came across a small herd. One 
of my companions, St. Jago by name, soon separated a 
fat cow ; he threw the bolas, and it struck her legs, but 
failed in becoming entangled. Then dropping his hat 
to mark the spot where the balls were left, while at full 
gallop, he uncoiled his lazo, and after a most severe 
chase, again came up to the cow, and caught her round 
the horns. The other Gaucho had gone on ahead with 
the spare horses, so that St. Jago had some difficulty in 
killing the furious beast. He managed to get her on a 
level piece of ground, by taking advantage of her as 
often as she rushed at him ; and when she would not 
move, my horse, from having been trained, would canter 
up, and with his chest give her a violent push. But 
when on level ground it does not appear an easy job for 
one man to kill a beast mad with terror. Nor would it 
be so, if the horse, when left to itself without its rider, 
did not soon learn, for its own safety, to keep the lazo 
tight ; so that, if the cow or ox moves forward, the horse 
moves just as quickly forward ; otherwise, it stands 
motionless, leaning on one side. This horse, however, 
was a young one, and would not stand still, but gave in 



FALKLAND ISLANDS. 117 

to the COW as she striiggied. It was admirable to see 
with what dexterity St. Jago dodged behind the beast, 
till at last he contrived to give the fatal touch to the 
main tendon of the hind leg ; after which, without much 
difficulty, he drove his knife into the head of the spinal 
marrow, and the cow dropped as if struck by lightning. 
He cut off pieces of flesh with the skin to it, but without 
any bones, sufficient for our expedition. We then rode 
on to our sleeping place, and had for supper " carne con 
cuero," or meat roasted with the skin on it. This is as 
superior to common beef as venison is to mutton. A 
large circular piece taken from the back is roasted on the 
embers with the hide downward and in the form of a 
saucer, so that none of the gravy is lost. If any worthy 
alderman had supped with us that evening, " carne con 
CRero," without doubt, would soon have been celebrated 
in London.' " 

" There ! " exclaimed the Professor, triumphantly, 
" now don't you think there are some attractions in the 
Falkland Islands?" 

" I give in," cried Eugene. " It must be simply grand 
there. "What better sport could one ask for than hunting 
wild cattle, wild horses, wild boars, wild rabbits, and 
other wild game ? Let's stop there. Captain." 

" Impossible, my friend," said the Captain ; " though I 
confess I should like the sport as much as yourself." 

" I am glad to hear you say so. But, Professor, there 
being no trees on the. islands, what do the inhabitants 
use for fuel ? For instance, how do the Gauchos, after 
they have killed a wild bull or cow, cook the flesh ? " 

" Oftentimes," answered the Professor, " they strip the 
flesh from the bones, and then use the bones to cook 
the meat by." 

" Make fuel of one part to cook the other part by ! " 
exclaimed Eugene. 



118 FALKLAND ISLANDS. 

" Exactly : but the best fuel, as Darwin says, is afforded 
by a little bush aljout the size of common heath, Avhich 
has the useful property of burning while fresh and green. 
' It was very surprising,' he says, ' to see the Gauchos, 
in the midst of rain and everything soaking wet, with 
nothing more than a tinder-box and piece of rag, imme- 
diately make a fire. They sought beneath the tufts of 
grass and bushes for a few dry twigs, and these they 
rubbed into fibers ; then surrounding them with coarser 
twigs, something like a bird's nest, they put the rag with 
its spark of fire in the middle and covered it up. The 
nest being then held up to the wind, by degrees it smoked 
more and more, and at last burst out in flames. I do 
not think any other method would have had a chance of 
succeeding with such damp materials.' " 

" It 's wonderful — " began Chester, when the Captain 
interrupted him. 

" Gentlemen," he said, " I see the steward is anxious 
for the pleasure of our company in the saloon." 

" Thank goodness ! " cried Eugene, " for I am as hun- 
gry as a big black bear," and with some haste he retired 
to the cabin, closely followed by the others. 

Meantime the beautiful yacht steamed steadily on her 
way toward the famous Strait of Magellan. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

STRAIT OF MAGELLAN AND TERRA DEL FUEGO — JUAN 
FERNANDEZ. 

AS the Albatross proceeded southward, they passed, 
though without catching more than a glimpse of 
it, a long stretch of the Brazilian coast, then Uruguay 
and the wide mouth of the E.io de la Plata, then Buenos 
Ayres, and at length the low shores of Patagonia were 
seen, but like an almost invisible line on the horizon. 
They now sailed well in toward the coast for many miles, 
but even with the aid of telescopes, the Professor and his 
companions could obtain only an indistinct idea of the 
shores. 

The yacht at last found herself at the head of the strait, 
and without having seen the Falklands, they immediately 
entered the channel. This passage, notwithstanding the 
advantages it offers over the stormy and dangerous one 
round Cape Horn, is seldom attempted by large sailing- 
vessels, principally because of the narrowness of the 
western reaches, and the violent gusts of wind blowing 
through them, chiefly from the northwest. Long deten- 
tions often occur, as there is not sufficient room for 
working ship ; and many of the harbors being difficult 
of access, it is often necessary to put back for long dis- 
tances. A United States man-of-war, it is said, was 
once eighty days in accomplishing the passage. Actual 
dangers are few. The water is deep, the shores are bold, 
and every hidden rock is, as it were, buoyed out by the 
abundant giant kelp growing over it. For small vessels, 
and particularly for steamers, the channel is invaluable. 

(119) 



120 STRAIT OF MAGELLAN AND TERRA DEL FUEGO. 

Its exact length is three hundred and seventy-six miles. 
The rivers abound in fish, the forest in game, there are 
safe and easy landings at many places for steamers, and, 
in short, a thousand resources that are wanting in the 
well-known Strait of Le Maire, and off the terrible rock 
of Cape Horn. 

During the first hours of the passage, till they reached 
Cape Gregory, the Professor and his companions observed 
that the shores were low and sandy. The entire passage 
lasted not far from thirty-six hours, and this moving 
panorama of the two shores well rewarded the pains they 
took to admire it under the radiant beams of the southern 
sun. No inhabitant appeared on the shores of the con- 
tinent; and only a few Fuegians wandered along the 
barren rocks of the great island called Terra del Fuego. 

Observing a group of these, just visible at the water's 
edge, Eugene, as he pointed toward them, suddenly asked : 

" How do those miserable creatures ■ manage to live, 
Professor ? " 

" They live chiefly on shell-fish," was the reply ; " and 
so are obliged constantly to change their place of resi- 
dence ; but the}^ return at intervals to the same spots, as 
is evident from the piles of old shells, which often amount 
to many tons in weight. There is a heap now ; it can be 
distinguished even at this distance by the bright green 
color of the plants which are growing upon it." 

" What are the plants ? " asked Chester. 

" I can tell you the names of two of them," exclaimed 
Captain Bradford : " wild celery and scurvy grass, both 
very serviceable, but the natives have n't found it out yet." 

" They don't seem capable of learning much of any- 
thing useful," said Eugene ; " the huts or wigwams they 
build are miserable shelters, are they not ? " 

" Yes, indeed," answered the Professor ; they merely 
consist of a few broken branches stuck in the ground, 



STRAIT OF MAGELLAN AND, TERRA DEL FUEGO. 121 

and very imperfectly thatched on one side with a few 
tufts of grass and rushes. In size and dimensions they 
resemble hay-cocks. The whole cannot be the work of an 
hour, and they are only used for a few days." 




" Let me see," said Eugene ; " does n't Darwin give 
some account of these people ? " 



122 STEAIT OF MAGELLAN AND TEREA DEL FUEGO. 



" Yes," answered his brother ; " and it is not a very- 
bright picture he paints." 

" Nevertheless, as you have the book handy, let us hear 
it." And Chester, taking up the volume, read : 




"'While going, one day, on shore, near Wollaston 
Island, we pulled alongside a canoe with six Fuegians. 



STEAIT OF MAGELLAN AND TERRA DEL FUEGO. 123 

These were the most abject and miserable creatures I 
anywhere beheld. On the east coast the natives, as we 
have seen, have guanaco cloaks, and on the west, they 
possess seal-skins. Among these central tribes the men 
generally have an otter-skin, or some small scrap about 
as large as a pocket-handkerchief, which is barely suf- 
ficient to cover their backs as low down as their loins. 
It is laced across the breast by strings, and, according 
as the wind blows, it is shifted from side to side. But 
these Fuegians, in the canoe, were quite naked, and even 
one full-grown woman was absolutely so. It was rain- 
ing heavily, and the fresh water, together with the spray, 
trickled down her body. In another harbor not far dis- 
tant, a woman, who was suckling a recently-born child, 
came one day alongside the vessel, and remained there 
out of mere curiosity, whilst the sleet fell and thawed 
on her naked bosom, and on the skin of her naked baby ! 
These poor wretches were stunted in their growth, their 
hideous faces bedaubed with white paint, their skins 
filthy and greasy, their hair entangled, their voices dis- 
cordant, and their gestures violent. Viewing such men, 
one can hardly make oneself believe that they are fellow- 
creatures, and inhabitants of the same world. It is a 
common subject of conjecture what pleasure in life some 
of the lower animals can enjoy ; how much more reason- 
able the same question may be asked with respect to 
these barbarians ! At night, five or six human beings, 
naked and scarcely protected from the wind and rain of 
this tempestuous climate, sleep on the wet ground coiled 
up like animals. Whenever it is Ioav water, winter or 
summer, night or day, they must rise to pick shell-fish 
from the rocks ; and the women either dive to collect 
sea-eggs, or sit patiently in their canoes, and with" a 
baited hair-line, without any hook, jerk out little fish. 
If a seal is killed, or the floating carcase of a putrid 



124 STRAIT OP MAGELLAN AND TERRA DEL FUEGO. 



wliale discovered, it is a feast ; and sucli iniserable food 
is assisted by a few tasteless berries and fungi.' " 

" Poor wretches, thej often suffer from famine," ob- 
served the Captain. 




" Yes," rejoined Chester, " the writer goes on to say : 
* I heard Mr. Low, a sealing-master intimately acquainted 



STRAIT OP MAGELLAN AND TERRA DEL PUEGO. 125 

with the natives of this country, give a curious account 
of the state of a party of one hundred and fifty natives 
on the west coast, who were very thin and in great 
distress. A succession of gales prevented the women 
from getting shell-fish on the rocks, and they could 
not go out in their canoes to catch seal. A small 
party of these men, one morning, set out, and the 
other Indians explained to him that they were going a 
four-days' journey for food. On their return, Low went 
to meet them, and he found them excessively tired, 
each man carrying a great square piece of putrid whale's 
blubber, with a hole in the middle, through which they 
put their heads, like the Gauchos do through their pon- 
chos or cloaks. As soon as the blubber was brought 
into a wigwam, an old man cut off thin slices, and, 
muttering over them, broiled them for a minute and 
distributed them to the famished party, who, during 
this time, preserved a profound silence. Mr. Low be- 
lieves that whenever a whale is cast on shore, the 
natives bury large pieces of it in the sand, as a re- 
source in a time of famine ; and a native boy, whom he 
had on board, once found a stock thus buried. The 
different tribes, when at war, are cannibals. From the 
concurrent, but quite independent evidence of the boy 
taken by Mr. Low, and of Jemmy Button, it is certainly 
true, that when pressed in winter by hunger, they kill 
and devour their old women before they kill their dogs. 
The boy, being asked by Mr. Low why they did this, 
answered : " Doggies catch otters, old women no." This 
boy described the manner in which they are killed by 
being held over smoke and thus choked ; he imitated 
their screams as a joke, and described the parts of their 
bodies which are considered best to eat. Horrid as 
such a death by the hands of their friends and rela- 
tives must be, the fears of the old women, when hun- 



126 STRAIT OF MAGELLAN AND TERRA DEL FUEGO. 

ger begins to press, are more painful to think of; we 
were told that they then often ran away into the 
mountains, but that they are pursued by the men and 
brought back to the slaughter-house at their own fire- 
sides ! ' " 

" What horrible wretches ! " exclaimed Eugene, in a 
tone of disgust. 

" That's exactly what they are," agreed the Captain. 

" Poor creatures," said Chester, musingly, " I suppose 
they know no better." 

" I doubt it," cried Eugene, in an excited tone, " I 
believe every man on earth, heathen as well as Chris- 
tian, knows the difference between right and wrong; 
and I stand read to defend my position." 

" Wait a little," said the Captain, quietly, " and mean- 
time, look about you." 

The Albatross was just rounding the peninsula of 
Brunswick, between two magnificent sights. Right here 
the strait cuts between stupendous masses of granite. 
The base of the mountains was hidden in the heart 
of immense forests, while their summits, wdiitened with 
eternal snow, were lost in the clouds. And now, on 
the left, lay Dawson Island ; beyond that, Clarence, and 
toward the southeast Mount Taru towered six thousand 
five hundred feet aloft. Night came, preceded by a 
long twilight, the light melting away insensibly by 
gentle degrees, while the sky was studded with brilliant 
stars. 

In the midst of this partial obscurity, the yacht kept 
steadily on her course, though they might easily have 
anchored for the night. Sometimes they could almost 
reach the branches of the beeches that hung over the 
water. At others they found themselves in the mouths 
of broad rivers, with myriads of wild game on every 
hand. Soon deserted ruins appeared, to which the night 



STRAIT OP MAGELLAN AND TERRA DEL FUEGO. 127 

lent a weird aspect. These were the remains of an 
abandoned colony, planted by Sarmiento, in 1581. He 
called the place San Felipe, and left there four hundred 
emigrants. But the extreme severity of the cold weak- 
ened the colony ; famine devoured those whom the 
winter had spared, and in 1587 Cavendish, the explorer, 
found the last of these four hundred unfortunates dying 
of hunger amid the ruins of a city only six years old. 
Since then the place has been known as Port Famine. 

The Albatross steamed along these deserted shores. 
At daybreak she sailed in the midst of the narrow passes, 
between beeches, ash-trees, and birches, from the bosom 
of which emerged ivy-clad domes, cupolas, tapestried with 
the hardy holly, and lofty spires, among which the obe- 
lisk of Buckland rose to a great height. Far out to sea 
sported schools of seals and whales of great size, judging 
by their spouting, which could be seen at a distance of 
four miles. At last they doubled Cape Froward, bleak 
and barren. On the other side of the strait rose Mount 
Sarmiento, to the height of six thousand feet, an enor- 
mous mass of rock broken by bands of clouds which 
formed as it were an aerial archipelago in the sky. 

Cape Froward is the real end of the American conti- 
nent, for Cape Horn is merely a lone rock in the sea. 
Passing this point, the strait narrowed between Brunswick 
Peninsula and Desolation Island. Then to fertile shores 
succeeded a line of wild, barren coast, cut by a thousand 
inlets of this tortuous labyrinth. 

The Albatross pursued its way through capricious 
windings, mingling her smoke with the mists on the 
rocks. Without lessening her speed, she passed several 
settlements or trading-posts which have been established 
on this uninviting coast. At Cape Tamar the channel 
widened. The yacht rounded the Narborough Islands, 
and approached the southern shores. At last, thirty-sis 



128 JUAN FERNANDEZ. 

hours after entering the strait, the rocks of Cape Pilares 
were seen at the extreme point of Desolation Island. An 
immense, open, glittering sea now extended before them, 
and all on board the steamer hailed it with enthusiasm, 
for it was the broad Pacific on which their eyes rested. 

Nine days later they were rapidly approaching the 
island of Juan Fernandez, Captain Bradford having con- 
sented to call there, to satisfy the natural curiosity of the 
brothers, and at the same time to replenish his stock of 
fruit, particularly to obtain peaches and quinces, which 
grow on the island in great abundance. 

The far-famed island could now just be discerned on 
the horizon ; and Eugene, after gazing at it for some 
time through a telescope, said, as he laid the instrument 
down : 

" That famous spot belongs to Chili, I suppose. How 
far is it from Valparaiso ? " 

" About four hundred and twenty miles," answered the 
Captain, promptly. 

"How large is it?" was the next question. 

" That I cannot tell you, exactly," said the Captain ; 
" you see it is very irregular in form." 

" It is not far from twelve miles in length from east to 
west," said the Professor ; " but, I think, not more than 
four miles across in the widest part." 

" There is more than one island, is there not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Yes," replied the Professor ; " at the southwest end 
t)f Juan is Santa Clara, merely a detached portion of the 
greater isle ; and about ninety-two miles west lies a small 
island called Mas-4-Fuera." 

" Mas-4-Fuera," repeated Eugene, in a low tone. " Hum ! 
I 'm not well up in my Spanish." 

" It means ' further off shore,' " explained the Professor. 
"And Juan Fernandez is distinguished as Mas-d-Terra — 
nearer the mainland." 



JUAN FERNANDEZ. 129 

" Is Mas-4-Fuera of any account ? " asked Eugene. 

" It is covered with trees and well provided with fresh 
water," was the reply ; " but being destitute of anchorage 
or landing-place, it is seldom visited, and very little 
known." 

" It is plain enough to see," observed Eugene, after 
another look through the glass, " that Juan Fernandez is 
not of coral formation." 

" No," answered the Professor ; " like most of the 
isolated oceanic islands, it is of volcanic origin, though 
the original shape and position of the crater are difficult 
to trace. The principal material in its formation, I 
have learned, is a stratified tufa, interspersed with blocks 
of harder volcanic rocks, such as vesicular lava and 
greenstone." 

" Toward the northeast, I notice, there is quite a 
mountain range, and one particularly lofty peak." 

"That is El Yunque — the anvil — 3,000 feet high. 
And now, as we draw nearer, you can see that the 
southwest , part of the island is less elevated, forming a 
plateau covered with grass, destitute of trees, and bor- 
dered with cliffs. Some other parts of the shore toward 
us, you will observe, present the same appearance. At 
still other points, the headlands form abrupt cliffs toward 
the sea, and are separated by narrow valleys, clothed in 
rich vegetation, and watered by small streams of excellent 
water." 

" The island is very picturesque, I should judge," 
observed Chester, after a long look through the glass. 

" It is, indeed," said the Captain ; " particularly when 
approached from the north. The mountains, rising rap- 
idly from the sea, have, when seen from that side, an 
aspect of grandeur which they lose when seen from this 
direction." 

" Where is our harbor. Captain ? " asked Chester. 



130 JUAN FERNANDEZ. 

" Round on the northeast side," was the answer. " It 
is called Cumberland Bay, and is well sheltered from the 
■winds." 




MOUNTAIN STREAM, JUAN FERNANDEZ. 

In due time they came to anchor in this bay ; and 
immediately after hastened on shore. 

Two valleys open into the bay, and here they found 



JUAN FERNANDEZ. 131 

the only settlement, consisting of a few huts, occupied by 
a dozen or more Chilians. 

The first settler was a Spaniard, after whom the island 
was named, and who it is thought introduced the goats 
which have since multiplied so enormously. When he 
and his family had departed, buccaneers took possession. 
For a long time the Spaniards fought the outlaws, and at 
^last the viceroy of Peru caused a large number of dogs to 
be landed, in the hope that they would destroy the goats 
and thus deprive the buccaneers of this resource ; but the 
steepness of the summits and of the cliffs preserved many 
of those animals. At the present time the dogs have 
been nearly exterminated by the settlers, and the goats 
have increased again, though mostly confined to the 
southern slope of the island. 

The buccaneers having at last abandoned the island, 
it was made a penal settlement by Chili, and the con- 
victs built some small batteries, dug caves in the hill- 
sides, and constructed one or two foot paths over the 
mountains. 

The visitors found that the settlers, besides cultivat- 
ing fruit and vegetables, raised unlimited quantities of 
poultry, which fact they were not slow in communicat- 
ing to the Captain, who promptly and kindly acted on 
the information. 

In their ramble they saw several horses and asses, 
and learned that vast numbers roam over the island in 
a half wild condition. They had noticed that the set- 
tlers kept horned cattle and a few sheep, but it was 
evident not as many as the resources of the pasture 
offered. They saw no reptiles, and the Professor de- 
clared that none were to be found on the island. 

At length, in their walk, they came to the cave in the 
bay next west of Cumberland bay, and which is said to 
have been the one occupied by Alexander Selkirk while 
he remained on this island. 



132 JUAN FERNANDEZ. 

" What is the true story of Selkirk, Professor ? " asked 
Eugene, while they were resting near the mouth of the 
cave. " I should like very much to hear it." 

" It is simply this," was the reply. " Alexander Sel- 
kirk, a Scotch sailing-master on board the ship Cinque 
Ports of Dampier's squadron, was left on this island at 
Ms 'own request, in the year 1704, on account of differ- 
ences with his captain. He remained here in solitud^ 
four years and four months, and was finally taken off in 
February, 1709, by Captain Woodes Rogers. After hav- 
ing exhausted his ammunition, he subsisted by running 
down and catching goats." 

" And do you really think this is the cave where he 
dwelt?" 

" Tradition says so ; and quite likely this spot was 
really his home." 

" The somimit of the pass over the Yunque range is 
called the lookout," said the Captain, " and is well worth 
a visit." 

" Ah, yes," exclaimed the Professor, " and, if we hare 
time, we must go to the spot, for a tablet reciting the prin- 
cipal points of the solitary's history has been placed 
there by the officers of the British ship Topaz, and I 
am sure we would all like to see it." 

" I fear it is impossible," said the Captain ; " for ©ur 
time is about up now." 

" Very well," rejoined the Professor, rising, " then we 
will return to the settlement at once." 

" Professor," asked Chester, as they walked along, 
"do you think Selkirk's story really gave DeFoe his 
idea of ' Eobinson Crusoe ? ' " 

" Indeed I do not," was the emphatic answer ; " and 
there is no good reason to suppose it did." 

" Selkirk was not the only man, nor even the first, 
left alone on this island," observed, the Captain. 



JUAN FEENANDEZ. 133 

" Who was the other ? " asked Eugene. 

" A Mosquito Indian was left here by accident, previous 
to his time, and taken away again, after the lapse of 
three years, by Dampier." 

On arriving at Cumberland Bay, they found that the 
provisions and fruit ordered by the Captain, including 
the poultry, had already been sent on board, and so 
hastened to follow, and an hour later the yacht steamed 
out of the beautiful harbor. 

Two days later they sighted the islands of St. Felix 
and Ambrosia, together called the St. Felix Islands. 
They present a rock}^, barren appearance, and are unin- 
habited except by sea-birds, who flock there in vast 
numbers. 

In due time they saw the Island of San Lorenzo, off 
the town of Callao ; and a little later entered the port. 

This town, the port of Lima, is well laid out. The 
streets are of good width and clean, the houses are 
mostly of but one story. The city was destroyed in 
1746 by an earthquake, and remains are yet to be seen, 
at certain points, as gloomy monuments placed over the 
ill-fated persons who were thus suddenly cut off. There 
is a railway from Callao to Lima, which is but seven 
miles distant. 

Early in the afternoon, the Captain, the Professor, 
and the brothers went ashore, and at once hastened to 
the office of the United States consul. 

The consul was at his post, and welcomed his fellow- 
countrymen with great cordiality. After some little time 
spent in social chat, Chester suddenly asked : 

"Do you know a gentleman by the name of Pierpont, 
sir — Lyman Pierpont?" 

" I do not," answered the consul, after a moment's 
reflection. 

" A man some fifty-four or fifty-five years of age ? " 
persisted Chester. 
6* 



134 JUAN FERNANDEZ. 

" Never heard of him," said the consul, slowly shaking 
his head. 

" Perhaps some one in the office ? " suggested the 
Captain. 

" I '11 ask," and the consul arose and entered the next 
room. 

Presently he returned and said : 

" No one of the clerks ever heard the name before." 

"Do you know a person by the name of Wayland?" 
asked Chester, referring to a letter in his hand. 

" Stephen Wayland ? " 

" That's the name." • ' 

" Oh, yes, we know him quite well. A trader ; has 
been all over the South Seas, and now has settled here, 
and is doing an extensive business with San Francisco." 

" Where can we find him ? " 

" Close by ; I '11 go with you," and the little party went 
out together. 

They found Mr. Wayland in comfortable quarters, and 
quite ready to give them his attention. He was a good- 
natured Yankee, of some forty-five or forty-six years of 
age, and his looks promised as many more years of life 
and happiness. 

" Oho ! " he exclaimed, when Chester made known 
their errand, " you've come to see me on account of the 
letter I wrote to Professor Pierpont about his brother. 
Well, I'll tell you how that . happened. You see I've 
been on about every known island in Polynesia, and so, 
of course, have been among the Hawaiian Islands any 
number of times. Years ago I used to see Lyman Pier- 
pont in Honolulu ; — that was in the old King's time. 
After that I met him more than once on Kanai ; then I 
lost track of him. I knew Warren Worthington well. 
Had some business with him in San Francisco. A while 
ago, in my New York papers — I take all the important 



JUAN FERNANDEZ. 135 

American newspapers, I want you to understand — I 
saw an account of what he proposed to do for that New 
England university. Then I saw the hitch in the scheme, 
and how all depended on Lyman Pierpont's being found. 
I was turning the matter over in my mind one day, while 
out on the streets here, when all at once I saw the man 
himself, or his double, right before me. I accosted him, 
of course, and called him by name. He only scowled 
and said he did n't know me. I then said : ' You are 
Lyman Pierpont, I am sure.' ' You are mistaken, sir,' 
he replied, coldly ; ' my name is George Thompson,' and 
with that he hurried away." 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the Consul, " George Thompson ! 
the man who started for the Galapagos Islands the other 
day." 

" Exactly," replied Wayland. 

" Then he 's gone ? " cried the Captain and the brothers 
in a breath. 

" Yes," answered the trader ; " but let me finish : 
Although the man claimed that his name was Thompson, 
I was satisfied it was Pierpont and nothing else, and 
so, after finding out what he was up to, I wrote that 
letter to his brother, and then kept a close watch on 
him. He fitted out a little vessel, and a week ago sailed 
for the Galapagos. From there he is going directly to 
Nukahiva, one of the northern islands of the Marquesas 
group, after which he intends to settle on one of the 
Tonga Islands." 

" Well, Captain," exclaimed Chester, turning to the 
master of the Alhatt^oss, " what have you to say to this ?" 

" I say the sooner we 're under way for the Galapagos, 
the better," was the prompt reply. 

" How soon can you start ? " asked Eugene, eagerly. 

" Early to-morrow morning," answered the Captain. 

" You must give us the pleasure of your company until 
then, gentlemen," said the Consul, cordially. 



136 JUAN FERNANDEZ. "* 

"Yes, indeed," chimed in Wayland; "my house is 
large — stay with me." 

" For my part," said the Captain, " -vrhile thanking you 
'both heartily for your kind invitations, I must decline, as 
every moment of my time will be occupied. But these 
gentlemen — " 

"Will stay, of course," said Mr. Wayland, quickly. 

" Yes," laughed Chester ; " we will take you at your 
word, and tarry with you till morning." 

" Nothing could please us more," exclaimed the Consul, 
in a voice of satisfaction. And while the Captain hurried 
away, the official and the trader exerted themselves to 
the utmost to entertain their guests. 

They succeeded ; and the next morning accompanied 
them on board the yacht, where, after partaking of an 
elegant repast which the Captain had caused to be pre- 
pared, the new friends parted, with mutual feelmgs of 
esteem for each other. 

As the shore-boat left the steamer's side, her propeller 
commenced to revolve, and she was at once headed 
toward the northwest. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 

"VTATURALLY, during the first day, as the yacht 
1 \l sped rapidly on its way toward the equator, the 
brothers' talk was almost exclusively of the uncle whom 
they were going to seek, and the new friends whom they 
had just left behind them. But the next morning, when 
the Professor and Captain Bradford joined them in their 
usual place on the quarter-deck, Eugene presently turned 
to the Captain, and asked : 

" Have you ever visited the Galdpagos, Captain ? " 

" Yes, on two occasions," was the answer. 

" I am glad of that," said the young man ; " for now 
you can tell us something about them, as well as the 
Professor." 

"I am quite at your service," rejoined the Captain. 
" What do you want to know ? " 

" Anything that is interesting. How much of a group 
is it?" 

"There are six — yes, I might say seven — principal 
islands, eight or ten smaller, and a vast number of islets, 
some being mere rocks." 

" Quite an archipelago, then." 

" Yes ; on a small scale." 

" The group belongs to Ecuador, I believe ? " said 
Chester, inquiringly. 

" Yes ; and lies about six hundred miles off the coast." 

" Galdpagos," mused Eugene ; " it 's a queer name." 

"The islands," explained the Captain, "were discovered 

(13T) 



138 THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 

by the Spaniards, who named them from the numerous 
land tortoises, called galdpagos in the Spanish language." 

" Thanks, Captain ; it 's a satisfaction to know* a little 
thing like that, sometimes." 

" Which of the islands is the largest of the group ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Albermarle," was the reply, " which, if I am not mis- 
taken', is quite sixty miles long and about fifteen broad ; 
it is also the most elevated, reaching a height of 4,700 
feet." 

" Albermarle," repeated Eugene ; " that is n't a Spanish 
name." 

" No," said the Captain ; " the single islands have 
received English names." 

" What are the other large islands called ? " asked 
Chester. 

" The second is Indefatigable, after which come Nar- 
borough, James, Chatham, Charles, and then, perhaps, 
Hood's." 

" They are volcanic, of course ? " turning to the Pro- 
fessor. 

" Yes," answered the Professor ; " and with the excep- 
tion of a few ejected fragments of fused granite, found by 
Darwin, every part consists of lava, volcanic tufa, basalt, 
and other eruptive rocks." 

" Are there any active volcanoes now ? " 

" Volcanic activity seems to be nearly extinct at pres- 
ent. Two craters were seen in action on Narborough in 
1814, and Morrel, in his ' Voyages,' describes a terrific 
eruption in 1825. Darwin, too, in 1835, saw a small jet 
of smoke issuing from one of the great craters of Alber- 
marle Island. It is certain that on these two islands the 
lava streams look much fresher than on the others, and 
the vegetation is much more scanty. As a rule, the vol- 
canoes of the eastern islands appear to have been extinct 
for a much longer time than those of the western." 



THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 139 

" I have heard," said Chester, " that the climate is 
remarkably temperate, considering the position directly 
under the equator." 

" Yes," responded the Professor ; " and this is due to 
the low temperature of the Peruvian current, which, 
coming from the antarctic regions, strikes here to the 
westward, after having followed closely up the coast of 
South America. This current meets here a part of the 
equatorial current starting from the Bay of Panama, and 
attention has been called to the curious phenomenon 
observed by the Beagle, of the water being 60° on the 
aouthern side of Albermarle Island, and 80° on the 
northern." 

" The group is not remarkable for luxuriant vegetation, 
is it ? " asked Eugene. 

" The lower parts of the islands are extremely arid and 
destitute of water," answered the Professor; "but the 
summits, which are generally covered by clouds, receive 
from them sufficient moisture to sustain an abundant 
vegetation and to be susceptible of cultivation." 

" Don't they have what is called the rainy season ? " 

" Yes, from November to March ; but no very great 
quantity of rain falls." 

" Then they must suffer from droughts occasionally." 

" Yes, and severely. In the year 1872, more than two 
thousand head of cattle perished from that cause on 
Charles Island alone." 

"How about inhabitants?" asked Chester. "Are there 
many on the islands ? " 

" The largest settlement, called Floriana, is on Charles 
Island. At one time it numbered from two hundred to 
three hundred inhabitants ; but of late it has dwindled 
down to about a dozen persons, who are very destitute, 
owing to the abandonment of the islands as a place of 
call for whalers and other vessels. The only other 
inhabited island is Chatham." 



140 THE GALAPAGOS GEOUP. 

" Why do vessels no longer call at the Galdpagos ?*' 

" Because they can no longer procure the supplies of 
turtles for which the islands were once so famous." 

" I have read," said Chester, " that the islands possess 
many specimens of plants and of the animal kingdom 
peculiar to themselves ; and, if I am not mistaken, the 
great turtles you speak of are among the latter." 

" Quite right," said the Professor ; " and not only is 
there a large number of animal and vegetable forms not 
found in any other part of the world, but some of them 
are confined to single islands of the group, and what is 
still more extraordinary, strongly marked varieties, if npt 
different species, of the same genus replace one another 
in islands not far apart." 

" Then, Professor, considering the evidently recent 
formation of the islands, the problem of the origin of 
organic life presents itself here in a most striking 
manner." 

"It does, indeed; and I consider myself most fortunate 
in having an opportunity to visit the group." 

" I suppose there are plenty of what are known as 
domestic animals," said Eugene. 

" Yes," answered the Captain ; " cattle, pigs, and goats 
are to be found in large numbers on Charles and Chatham 
islands." 

" Are there many birds ? " 

" Not less than twenty-six species are known to inhabit 
the group," said the Professor. 

" Yes," exclaimed the Captain ; " and I want you to 
take particular notice of the extreme tameness of these 
same birds." 

" Ah ! " said the Professor ; " that has always been a 
wonder to visitors." 

" There are some very curious reptiles, I have heard," 
said Eugene. 



THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 141 

" Yes, indeed," replied the Captain, quickly ; " and 
first among them are the land tortoises the Professor 
has mentioned, and which formerly were so large and 
abundant. Then there are three or four species of liz- 
ards, two quite large, — three or four feet in length, in 
fact, — and confined, as I think the Professor will tell 
you, exclusively to this group." 

" Quite true," assented the Professor ; " and one of the 
two is the only marine saurian of our epoch. It inhabits 
the shores of all the islands, swimming out to sea and 
feeding on seaweed." 

" And the other ?" asked Chester. 

" Is terrestrial and Iierbivorous, inhabiting burrows or 
crevices in the lava ; it is confined to a few of the central 
islands." 

" Sea turtles are very numerous, are they not ? " 

" Yes ; and of good quality." 

" If I remember rightly. Commodore Porter has some- 
thing very interesting to say about the great land tortoises 
that have been mentioned." 

" I think he has," said the Professor ; " but at this 
moment I cannot recall his words." 

" His work is in the library below," suggested the 
Captain. 

" All right," exclaimed Eugene ; " I '11 find it," and he 
hurried away. 

Presently he returned with the book, and having found 
the passage he wanted, read as follows : 

" ' Those extraordinary animals, the tortoises of the 
Galdpagos, properly deserve the name of the elephant 
tortoise. Many of them were of a size to weigh upward 
of three hundred weight; and nothing, perhaps, can be 
more disagreeable or clumsy than they are in their exter- 
nal appearance. Their motion resembles strongly that 
of the elephant; their steps slow, regular, and heavy; 



142 THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 

they carry their body about a foot from the ground, and 
their legs and feet bear no slight resemblance to the 
animal to which I have likened them ; their neck is from 
eighteen inches to two feet in length, and very slender ; 
their head is proportioned to it, and strongly resembles 
that of a serpent ; but, hideous and disgusting as is their 
appearance, no animal can possibly afford a more whole- 
some, luscious, and delicate food than they do ; the finest 
green turtle is no more to be compared to them, in point 
of excellence, than the coarsest beef is to the finest veal ; 
and after once tasting the Gal4pagos tortoises, every 
other animal food fell greatly in our estimation. These 
animals are so fat as to require neither butter nor lard 
to cook them, and this fat does not possess that cloying 
quality, common to that of most other animals ; and 
when tried out, it furnishes an oil superior in taste to 
that of the olive. The meat of this animal is the easiest 
of digestion, and a quantity of it, exceeding that of any 
other food, can be eaten without experiencing the slight- 
est inconvenience. But what seems the most extraordi- 
nary in this animal, is the length of time that it can 
exist without food ; for I have been well assured that 
they have been piled away among the casks in the hold 
of a ship, where they have been kept eighteen months, 
and, when killed at the expiration of that time, were 
found to have suffered no diminution in fatness or excel- 
lence. They carry with them a constant supply of water, 
in a bag at the root of the neck, which contains about 
two gallons ; and on tasting that found in those we killed 
on board, it proved perfectly fresh and sweet. They are 
very restless when exposed to the light and heat of the 
sun, but will lie in the dark from one year's end to 
the other without moving; in the day-time they appear 
remarkably quick-sighted and timid, drawing their head 
into their shell on the slightest motion of any object; 



THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 143 

but they are entirely destitute of hearing, as the loudest 
noise — even the firing of a gun — does not seem to 
alarm them in the slightest degree, and at night, or in 
the dark, they appear perfectly blind.' " 

"A very good description, indeed," commented the 
Captain, approvingly. 

" I think I should like to taste of the elephant tor- 
toise," said Chester 

" Taste of it ! " exclaimed Eugene, " a great four-legged 
serpent, with a shell on its back. Ugh ! " 

" You have no idea what good eating they make," said 
the Captain. " Looks are nothing, you know." 

" Looks nothing ! " cried Eugene. " But perhaps not 
in the Galdpagos ; perhaps they eat those great lizards, 
there ? " 

" They do, indeed," rejoined the Captain ; " and very 
good eating they are, too." 

" What, you have eaten them ? " 

" Certainly ;' and the tortoise as well." 

" There, that will do for to-day. I want to hear no 
more," and taking up the book, he hurried away. 

After a marvelously quick passage, the Albatross came 
to anchor off Charles Island, and the Captain and his 
passengers hastened on shore. A person representing 
himself to be the governor, was at the landing to meet 
them ; and to him the Captain, who was a fair Spanish 
scholar, put the all-important question : " Had a man 
named Pierpont or Thompson been there lately?" 

Pierpont ; no. Thompson ; perhaps. Was it he who 
owned a small schooner, the Rover, and had several 
Kanakas with him ? 

The very same. 

Then he had left there only two days before, and was 
still among the islands, perhaps at Chatham, where there 
were some settlers, or it might be at Albermarle, or pos- 



144 THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 

sibly Narborough. But, wherever he was, he would 
return to Charles Island by the next day, or the next but 
one at the latest. How did he know? The owner of 
the schooner had himself said so, and had requested 
him, meantime, to procure all the tortoises he could for 
him, and, behold ! he had already secured ten large ones. 
Would the seiiors look at them ? They were close by. 

" By all means," exclaimed Chester and Eugene, with 
alacrity. And they followed the gov^ernor to the turtle 
pen, where they saw the most repulsive-looking reptiles 
the mind can conceive of, and which even Commodore 
Porter's description had hardly prepared them for. 

" Gracious ! " exclaimed Eugene, " to think of those 
hideous creatures as an article of food ! " 

The governor understood English a little. 

" Ah ! very nice," he said, earnestly ; " you try him 
once, you never more leave Galdpagos." 

" That is an inducement, truly," said Eugene, sarcas- 
tically, as he cast an eye over the uninviting landscape. 

As they turned away from the turtle pen, the Captain, 
addressing his companions, said : 

" Well, gentlemen, what course shall we take ? Ac- 
cording to our friend, the governor, Lyman Pierpont 
was here at Charles Island only two days ago ; is now 
somewhere among the group, and will return to this bay 
to-morrow or next day. Shall we wait quietly where we 
are, or go after him ? " 

" I say, follow him up," exclaimed Eugene promptly. 

" If we do so," said his brother, " we may never over- 
take him, for he may always be just ahead of us. I 
should think, therefore, as he is to return, it would be 
better to wait for him here." 

" But, notwithstanding he has agreed to do so, he may 
not return," objected Eugene, " and in that case there 
would be just so much more precious time lost." 



THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 145 

" Let us wait here till to-morrow, or even the morn- 
ing of the day after," suggested the Professor ; " and if 
in that time he has not appeared, we can search for him 
where, in the Captain's judgment, he is most likely to 
be found." 

" I like that idea," said Chester. 

" It seems the wisest plan," added the Captain, ap- 
provingly. 

" I agree," said Eugene, " and now that's settled, 
what shall we do for the next twenty-four hours or so ? " 

"/can find enough to occupy the time," said the Pro- 
fessor, casting a wistful glance about him. 

" Where is the settlement ? " asked Eugene. 

" Floriana," answered the governor, " is up the moun- 
tain, yonder, a thousand feet or more, and about four 
and a half miles distant. Too hot here on the coast ; 
some of us could not stand it." 

"Then, Professor," said Eugene, "if you want to 
take a turn by yourself, now's your chance. I, for one, 
propose to visit the capital." 

" Very well," assented the Professor, eagerly ; " you 
three go with the governor. I '11 ramble about for a few 
hours, and then return to the yacht with such specimens 
as I find." And so they parted, the palaeontologist going 
off toward a curious valley, while the others followed the 
governor up the mountain path. 

At first they passed through leafless thickets, but 
higher up, the woods gradually became greener, and as 
soon as they crossed the ridge of the island they were 
refreshed by a fine southerly breeze, and their sight was 
gladdened by a green and thriving vegetation. In this 
upper region they saw coarse grasses and ferns in abund- 
ance, but no tree-ferns, nor did they see any member of 
the palm family, which the Professor afterwards said 
was singular, as 360 miles northward, Cocos island takes 



14(5 THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 

its name from the number of cocoanut palms upon it. 
The houses of the settlement they found irregularly scat- 
tered over a flat space of ground, which was cultivated 
with sweet-potatoes and bananas. The inhabitants were 
mostly blacks, and although complaining of poverty, 
obtained, without much trouble, the means of subsistence. 
In the woods they saw many wild pigs and goats ; but 
the staple article of animal food, the governor told them, 
was still supplied by the tortoises. Their numbers, he 
said, had of course been greatly reduced in the island, 
but the people could still obtain a week's supply in two 
days' time. He groaned as he told them of the past, 
when there was plenty for everyone, and said that the 
time had been when one ship's company had gathered 
and taken to the beach two hundred tortoises in a single 
day. 

The governor's residence they found to be somewhat 
better than those about it, and his excellency exerted 
himself to the utmost to entertain them. But before 
the day was done, all were heartily tired of Charles 
Island, and by unanimous consent, they returned to the 
yacht to pass the night. 

With the Professor, however, it was far different. He 
was delighted with the miserable island, and emphatic- 
ally declared that he would gladly spend a month there. 

"I have learned much this day," he said, in a tone of 
quiet satisfaction, " and there is much more to learn." 

" Have you seen any of those great lizards that meas- 
ure a yard or more ? " asked Eugene. 

" The amblyrhynchus, you mean. Yes, I have seen 
quite a number." 

" Any snakes ? " 

"Yes, several. They are of a South American species, 
and I have no doubt are quite abundant." 

" We have not noticed any insects," said Chester ; 
"have you?" 



THE GALAPAGOS GEOUP. 147 

" Yery few," was the answer ; " they are scarce and 
small in this group." 

" What have you found and brought away with you, 
Professor ? " asked the Captain. 

" Many shells, for one thing," was the answer, " and I 
am convinced that fully one-half of them are peculiar 
to the group. I also found a small piece of coral, but 
it must have been brought here by the sea with other 
matter, or left here by some one, for coral reefs nowhere 
exist about these islands." 

"Did you notice that the vegetation in the lower 
parts of the island is entirely without verdure ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" You are not a close observer, my young friend," 
smiled the Professor. " All the plants I have seen were 
covered with verdure, and some even were in flower, but 
the leaves and flowers were so small as to give the plants 
the appearance of being bare." 

"Ah! that explains it." Then turning to the mate, 
who at that moment joined them, " Well, what are we 
to have for dinner, Mr, Morgan ? " 

" Turtle soup and turtle steak," was the prompt reply. 

" None for me, thank you," said Eugene, hastily. 

" But this is sea-turtle," explained the mate, " the 
sailors took several to-day. They are very plenty about 
these islands." 

" Ah ! that's another thing, altogether," said Eugene, 
in a relieved tone. 

The next day passed without any signs of the Rover, 
as did also the' day following; so, having purchased a 
few necessary provisions of the governor, they sailed 
for Chatham Island. Nothing was to be seen of the 
schooner here ; and the few on the island declared that 
they had not seen a vessel of any kind for nearly three 
months. 



148 THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 

During a walk on shore, Chester and Eugene saw 
several large tortoises, one of which might have weighed 
two hundred pounds. This one was eating a piece of 
cactus, and as they approached, it stared at them and 
slowly stalked away ; the others merely gave deep hisses 
and drew in their heads. These monsters, with their 
miserable surroundings of barren rock, black lava, huge 
cacti, and seemingly leafless shrubs, in the eyes of the 
young men had a most unearthly look, and Eugene 
emphatically declared that he knew they were the deni- 
zens of another and less attractive world, who, deceived 
by the homelike appearance of the islands, had landed 
there by mistake. 

Presently, coming up with another of the huge rep- 
tiles, Eugene had a mind for a ride. The monster was 
quietly pacing along, but the instant the young man 
passed in front of it, with a deep hiss, its legs and head 
disappeared, and it fell to the ground with a heavy 
sound, as if struck dead. He now mounted its back, 
and giving a few hard raps on the hinder part of its 
shell, it slowly rose with him and walked away. But 
the rider found it exceedingly difficult to keep his seat, 
and at last was ignominiously pitched off, landing in a 
mass of cacti and broken lava. It was during this walk 
that they particularly noticed the exceeding tameness of 
the birds, the feathered creatures caring no more for them 
than for the inanimate rocks about them. 

Being satisfied that Lyman Pierpont had not, and 
would not visit Chatham Island, they lost no time in 
getting under way for Indefatigable and Albemarle. 
On the latter island they saw many large specimens of 
the amblyrhynchus. 

The two species resemble each other in general form ; 
one, however, is terrestrial and the other aquatic. The 
latter species is extremely common on all the islands 



THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 149 

throughout the group, and lives exclusively on the rocky 
sea-beaches, being never found even ten yards in-shore. 
It is a hideous-looking creature, of a dirty-black color, 
stupid, and sluggish in its movements. The usual length 
of a full-grown one is, as has already been stated, about 
three feet, but there are some even four feet long ; a 
large one the brothers caught, weighed twenty-one 
pounds. On this island they grow to a greater size 
than on any of the others. Their tails are flattened 
sideways, and all four feet partially webbed. They are 
sometimes seen two or three hundred yards from shore, 
swimming about ; but they do not live on fish, their 
only food being sea-weed. Their limbs and strong claws 
are admirably adapted for crawling over the rugged and 
fissured masses of lava, which everywhere form the 
coast. The Professor and his young companions more 
than once came upon a group of a dozen or more of 
these hideous reptiles, stretched on the black rocks, a 
few feet above the surf, basking in the sun. 

The terrestrial species has a round tail, and toes with- 
out webs. This lizard, instead of being found like the 
other on all the islands, is confined to the central part 
of the group, namely, to Albemarle, James, Barrington, 
and Indefatigable Islands. Some of these lizards inhabit 
the high and damp parts of the islands, but they are 
far more numerous about the coast; indeed their bur- 
rows are to be seen at every step. Like the sea-kind, 
they are loathsome-looking reptiles, of a yellowish-orange 
beneath and a brownish-red color above, and have a sin- 
gularly stupid appearance. In their movements they are 
lazy and half torpid. They slowly crawl along with 
their tails and bellies dragging on the ground. They 
often stop and doze for a minute -or two, with closed 
eyes and hind legs spread out on the parched soil They 
feed by day, and do not wander far from their burrows ; 

7 



150 THE GALAPAGOS GEOUP. 

if frightened, they rush to them with a most awkward 
gait. These lizards, when cooked, yield a white meat, 
which is highly relished by those whose stomachs soar 
above all prejudices. 

The yacht circumnavigated Albemarle, Narborough 
being within the area included, but nowhere was there 
any appearance of a sail. They then visited the other 
island of the group ; and at length, without having met 
with any success, returned to Charles Island, after an 
absence of a little more than four days. 

The Governor was on hand to receive them. The 
schooner, he said, had not returned; but the little 
Chilian vessel they saw in the bay had come in from 
Albemarle the very day they had left. They had met 
the Rover in the channel between Albemarle and Nar- 
borough ; and in answer to their hail, had been informed 
that she was bound to Nukahiva direct. The owner had 
requested the master of the Chilian craft to express to 
the Governor his regrets for not being able to return for 
the tortoises he had ordered. " And so," said the Gov- 
ernor sadly, in conclusion, " there they are, and I am out 
just so much money — that I had counted on." 

" Well, well," said the Captain, soothingly, " we '11 take 
them of you." Then, with a laugh : " I know my friend, 
Mr. Eugene here, will do his share toward disposing of 
them." 

" I '11 never taste of one," exclaimed Eugene, quickly. 

" We '11 see," was the quiet reply. " And now. Gov- 
ernor, we shall want some pigs and goats." 

The provisions, including the tortoises, were sent on 
board, and after once more bidding the friendly Governor 
adieu, they steamed out of the little bay, and headed for 
Nukahiva. 

At length dinner was ready, and notwithstanding their 
great disappointment, all sat down with a good appetite. 



THE GALAPAGOS GROUP. 151 

For the second course, a tempting dish was set before 
them, of which all partook largely, but none with greater 
relish than Eugene. 

"Captain," he said, at last, "the cook improves, or this 
is a better sea-turtle than any we 've had yet." 

" It is n't sea-turtle," said the Captain, quietly. 

" What is it, then ? " demanded Eugene. " It is n't 
pork, nor goat's meat ? " 

" No ; something far better than either." 

" What, then ? " And even as he asked the question, 
the truth flashed upon him. 

" Yes," laughed the Captain, " you 've guessed it ; and 
I think you 've heartily enjoyed a dish of real gald'pagoP 

" I give in," said Eugene, frankly ; " and now I know 
a thing may be much better than it looks. I shall make 
good your words, Captain ; I shall do my full share 
toward disposing of the stock you have on hand." 

" I knew it," was the sententious reply. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE BROAD PACIFIC — THE ]VIARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

THE next morning Eugene spent some time in the 
cabin, diligently studying the great chart of the 
Pacific Ocean. He knew their course was laid a little 
south of west, or, as the sailors have it, west by south, 
and that they would soon be on a line with three islands 
to the north of them, Gallego, Duncan, and Clipperton, 
the last belonging to France, and with the few islets 
about it, sometimes called the Sandwich Islands. After 
that, he saw there was only one vast expanse of water on 
every hand until the Marquesas were reached, with the 
single exception of St. Paul's Island, far to the south, and 
about on the one hundred and ninteenth meridian. 

Leaving the cabin, he made his way to the quarter- 
deck, where he found the Professor seated in his usual 
place, and the Captain, Mr. Morgan, and Chester grouped 
about him. 

" Ah, Mr. Eugene, where do you come from ? " asked 
the Captain, with his pleasant smile. 

" From studying the chart," answered Eugene ; " and 
I see we are now fairly on our way to the Marquesas." 

" Yes," rejoined the Captain ; " and if we have good 
weather, I hope to land you on Nukahiva by the time you 
are wholly recovered from the fatigues of your late run 
among the lava beds of the Galdpagos." 

" If you do that, it will just suit me," laughed Eugene. 

" Let 's see," asked Chester, " about where do the 
Marquesas lie ? You ought to be able to tell us that, 
brother." 

(152) 



THE BEOAD PACIFIC. 153 

"They lie between 7° 47' and 11° south latitude, 
and 138° and 141° west longitude," answered Eugene, 
promptly. 

" Well, that 's a pretty long stretch ; and I should say 
the Captain will have to keep a sharp eye on the engineer 
in order to make good his promise to you." 

" Oh, I can do it," said Captain Bradford, confidently. 

"The Marquesas are really quite a group, are they 
not?" asked Chester. 

" Yes," answered the Captain ; " there are two clusters, 
and quite a number of islands in all. I don't know just 
how many." 

"Thirteen," said the Professor; "and they contain 
about four hundred and eighty square miles." 

"They are quite thickly populated, I believe," said 
Chester. 

" Exactly what the present population is I am not pre- 
pared to say," was the reply. " Fifteen years ago it was 
a little more than 10,000. It will not, I think, vary 
much from that, now." 

" The Captain says there are two clusters." 

" Yes ; the northern and southern. The latter, con- 
sisting of Hiwaoa or Dominican, Tohuata, Motane, and 
Fatuhiva or Magdalena, was discovered in 1595 by 
Mendaiia de Neyva, a Spaniard, and by him named Las 
Marquesas de Mendoza, in honor of the viceroy of Peru. 
The northern group was discovered in 1791 by Captains 
Marchand and Ingraham. The largest islands of this 
cluster are Nukahiva, Uahugo or Washington, Uapoa or 
Adams, Shotomiti or Franklin, and Fatunhu." 

"They are not of coral formation, Professor?" said 
Eugene. 

" No, they are of volcanic origin, a fact which is suffi- 
ciently attested by long rows of bleak basaltic rocks. 
Each island is formed by a mountain ridge, which rises 



154 THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

to an elevation of 2,000 or 3,000 feet, sending forth 
numerous lesser chains, between which fertile valleys 
open toward the ocean. The coast is for the most part 
rugged and precipitous, and although there are some 
coral reefs, the roadsteads are generally unprotected, and 
hence furnish no safe anchorage." 

" How do the climate and productions compare with 
those of the other groups of sub-tropical Polynesia ? " 
asked Chester. 

"They resemble those of the other volcanic islands," 
was the reply. 

" There is plenty of rain, I suppose ? " 

" Yes, the rainy season lasts frobi November till April. 
Droughts, however, are not unfrequent during the hot 
season. Krusenstein, I think, mentions one which lasted 
for ten months." 

" I have read that the vegetation of the Marquesas 
Islands, or Mendana Archipelago, as I believe it is some- 
times called, is truly wonderful," said Chester. 

" It is so," rejoined the Professor ; " the valleys, the 
soil of which is formed by hundreds of layers of decayed 
vegetation, are extremely fertile, and produce all tropical 
fruits in abundance. The yam, sugar-cane, banana, 
plantain, taro, sweet potato, cotton plant, and the like 
grow almost without culture. The hillsides are covered 
with forests of cocoanut, bread-fruit, and papaw trees, the 
fan-palm and other trees ; but the vigorous growth of 
underbrush renders them almost inaccessible." 

" I suppose they cannot boast of much in the way of 
native animals ? " said Eugene. 

" The fauna of the islands is as poor as their flora is 
rich," was the reply. " There are no indigenous mam- 
malia, but swine, cats, and rats have been introduced from. 
Europe and America." 

" Not much chance for game there, I fear ; but how 
about birds ?" 



THE MAEQUESAS ISLANDS. 155 

•* Of birds there are only four or five distinct species : 
among them the kurukiiru and the gupid, a parrot of the 
size of the robin, are the most beautifuL" 

" But," suggested the Captain, " there are any quan- 
tities of water-fowl on the coast." 

" True," assented the Professor, " I should have remem- 
bered that, and perhaps I ought to mention that valuable 
mussels are found near the shore." 

" I have heard a great deal about the people," said 
Eugene. '^To what family do they belong ? " 

" The accepted theory, until recently, has been that 
they, in common with the brown Polynesians, belong to 
the Malay race. But Rev. Robert W. Logan calls atten- 
tion to the fact that later investigations, by Judge Fornan- 
der, of the Hawaiian Islands, and certain German 
scholars, render it probable that they may be a branch of 
the Caucasian race. He says : ' It is thought that by means 
of theii; languages, traditions, and mythologies the Polyne- 
sians can be traced back from their present abode, step 
by step, through the island groups of the Pacific and 
Indian Oceans to the Indian Peninsula, and onward to the 
central tablelands of Asia, whence the Caucasian races, 
in the beginnings of history, emigrated westward and 
southward.' " 

" They are distinguished by grace and symmetry of 
person, I am told," said Chester. 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " particularly the men, 
who are also remarkable for their gigantic size and great 
strength. One of the chiefs being measured carefully 
was found to be six feet and eight inches in height, and 
he said that he knew another chief who was at least a 
foot taller than himself." 

" They are not a very dark people ? " said Chester. 
" Their complexion," responded the Professor, " is of a 
light copper color ; the women appear almost white, but 



156 THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

this is the result of the application of the root of the 
papaw tree." 

"Yes, I've read about that," exclaimed Eugene. 
" Porter mentions it, I believe." 

" He does ; and also refers to the practice of tattooing." 

" They are marvelous at that, are they not ? " 

" They are indeed ; and it is practiced by both sexes." 

" There are many nations where this decoration is 
worn," said the Captain ; but as I can testify, there are no 
people on the face of the earth who carry it t)ut so fully 
as do the Marquesans ; every part of their bodies, even to 
the crown of the head and the fingers and toes being cov- 
ered with the pattern." 

" But the women don't carry it to that extent, do 
they ? " exclaimed Eugene. 

" No," rejoined the Captain, " this extreme elaboration 
is only to be found in the men, the women contenting 
themselves with a bracelet or two tattooed on their arms, 
and a few similar ornaments here and there." 

" They make quite a time when the tattooing is fin- 
ished, do they not ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes," said the Professor, " Langsdorff says that some- 
times a rich islander will, either from generosity, ostenta- 
tion, or love to his wife, make a feast in her honor when 
she has a bracelet tattooed round her arm, or perhaps her 
ear ornamented. A hog is then killed and the friends of 
both sexes are invited to partake of it ; the occasion of the 
feast being made known to them. It is expected that the 
same courtesy will be returned in case the wife of -any of 
the guests being punctured. This is one of the few occa- 
sions on which women are allowed to eat pork." 

" I should think," observed Eugene, " if they like the 
meat they would go in for tattooing frequently." 

" There are times when the permission is taken advant- 
age of. For instance, if in a very dry year bread-fruit, 



THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 157 

hogs, roots, and other provisions became scarce, any one 
who has a good stock of them (which commonly happens 
to the chief), in order to distribute the stores, keeps open 
table for a certain time to an appointed number of poor 
artists, who are bound to give in return some strokes of 
the tattoo to all who choose to come for it ; and, of course, 
such women as come are permitted to eat of the meat." 

" How about social life ? " asked Eugene. 

" Their social organization is similar to that which 
prevailed in the Hawaiian Islands before the introduction 
of Christianity. They are divided into many tribes or 
clans, among whom bloody wars are of frequent occur- 
rence. The taboo serves them instead of religion. The 
tabooed or privileged classes consist of atnas, who are 
venerated as superior beings ; tanas, soothsayers and 
"medicine-men"; to^a2mas, priests and surgeons ; uhus, the 
lowest rank of the hierarchy ; Jcataikis, secular rulers ; 
and toas, war chiefs. The non-tabooed classes are the 
peio peJceios, servants ; hoJcis, singers and dancers ; and 
nohuas, common laborers. The last-named class hold a 
similar position to that of the pariahs in India." 

" What is it I 've heard about the women ? " asked 
Eugene. " Don't they have rather the best of it in a 
matrimonial way, — each one choosing her husband for 
herself, and as many as she pleases ? " 

" Yes ; polyandry is among the peculiar institutions of 
the islanders. The women not only have as many hus- 
bands as they like, but retain them or not according to 
their pleasure. Stewart, who spent some time on the 
islands, says ; ' We have yet met with no instance, in 
any rank of society, of a male with two wives, but are 
informed that for one woman to have two husbands is a 
universal habit. Some favorite in the father's household 
or retinue, at an early period becomes the husband of the 
daughter, who still remains under the paternal roof, till 



158 THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

contracted in marriage to a second individual' ; on which, 
she removes with her first husband to his habitation, and 
both herself and original companion are supported by 
him.' " 

" That 's pretty hard on the second husband," remarked 
Mr. Morgan. 

" Yes," laughed Eugene ; " but just think what a ' soft 
snap ' it is for the first ! " 

" I should n't think there could be much love under 
such circumstances," said Chester, thoughtfully. 

" On the contrary," replied the Professor, " instances 
of strong conjugal affection are reported of this peculiar 
people. Stewart says cases are known in which the infi- 
delity and unkindness of a husband or wife has so deeply 
affected the happiness of the companion, as to lead to the 
commission of suicide, by swallowing a poisonous berry 
growing in the mountains, or by hanging." 

" Is there any truth in the statement that the Mar- 
quesans are cannibals?" aske'd Eugene. 

" The best authorities," answered the Professor, " state 
that cannibalism is sometimes practiced among them, 
but only as an act of vengeance. They say it is only the 
bodies of slain enemies of which now and then a slice 
is eaten. Their ordinary food consists principally of 
vegetables." 

" But like all the other South Sea Islanders, they drink 
kava, and plenty of it," said the Captain. 

" Yes," assented the Professor ; " the highly intoxicat- 
ing beverage called kava, or ava, and which is prepared 
by chewing the root of the kanoa plant (Pi'per metisti- 
cuni), mixing it well with saliva, and then spitting it into 
a huge bowl, in which it is perfected by fermentation, is 
extensively used by them, and greatly to their hurt, as it 
produces leprosy and consumption." 

" But generally speaking, they are a remarkably healthy 
people, are they not, Professor ? " asked Chester. 



THE MAEQUESAS ISLANDS. 159 

" From what source did you get that impression ? " 

" I think from Stewart, whom you yourself quoted just 
now." 

" I think Stewart does give that impression ; but, in 
the first place, you must remember it is some time since 
he visited the group, and then, perhaps, you did not read 
him carefully." 

" I remember," said Chester, " that after mentioning a 
visit of sympathy to a surly old woman, who lay sick in 
one corner of her hut, he says, ' It is the first instance I 
have met of confinement by sickness ; and from all I can 
learn, their diseases are few and not very frequent.' " 

" Ah ! " rejoined the Professor, " but he goes on to say, 
' Besides pulmonary affections and diseases of the liver, 
they have the dropsy, which they ascribe to having eaten 
fruit that has been tabooed with . more than ordinary 
ceremony. They are also subject to rheumatism, which, 
in some instances, is so severe as to contract the fingers 
and toes, so as to cause them to be perfectly double. 
This effect,' he says, 'is also attributed by them to a 
superstitious cause.' He then mentions leprosy, and 
says that it covers the skin with a scurf, affects the use 
of the limbs, and draws the fingers backward ; and fur- 
ther, he says diseases of the eye are not unfrequent, and 
that sometimes they produce total blindness. He also 
mentions several ordinary cutaneous diseases." 

" Yes," said Chester ; " but he adds that, notwithstand- 
ing, they are altogether a more smooth-skinned race than 
Hawaiians." 

" Quite true ; but, as you know, that is n't saying very 
much." 

"I admit the fact," said Chester; "but surely they 
are not afflicted with that disgusting deformity, the 
elephantiasis ? " 

" I am afraid they are, and to a considerable extent." 



160 THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

" Have n't they learned to dress healthfully yet ? " 
asked Eugene. 

" It 's a question what is the most healthful mode of 
dress for them," returned the Professor. " As a matter 
of fact, their clothing is still obtained from the mulberry 
tree, the bark of which they render thin and soft by beat- 
ing, after the manner of the Samoans." 

" They live comfortably ? " 

" Yes ; their houses are erected on stone platforms, a 
few feet above the ground, and are neatly thatched with 
leaves of the cocoanut tree. They show, too, a remark-, 
able regard for their dead, providing for their last 
resting-place houses quite as good as those they theni' 
selves inhabit." 

"They ought to have an interesting history," suggested 
Eugene ; " or, at least, something in the way of tradition." 

" They have no history, whatever," said the Professor. 
"Even the first discovery of the islands by Europeans 
has been entirely forgotten, though the Spaniards, who it 
is claimed introduced swine, and also Cook (who in 
1774 visited one of the islands) and Marchand, are still 
venerated as gods." 

" The French claim the group, do they not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Yes. Admiral DuPetit Thouars, by authority of the 
French government, took possession of the islands in 
1842. The inhabitants afterwards made some unsuc- 
cessful attempts at reconquering their liberty. In 1850, 
the records state, the island of Nukahiva was made a 
penal colony for political convicts. Only one convict 
was sent there, however, and the project was abandoned ; 
but the protectorate of France is still maintained." 

" All the islands do not, or have not always acknowl- 
edged it though," said the Captain meaningly. 

"How's that?" asked Eugene. 



THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 161 

• Why, in 1853, several Hawaiian missionaries were 
sent to Matunui, the chief of Fatuhiva, by his request, 
and as to what followed. Rev. Hiram Bingham, Jr., says : 
' But only five days after they had landed, a French 
brig anchored there, bringing a Catholic priest. He 
demanded of Matunui and the other chiefs that these 
missionaries should be sent away, saying that the Mar- 
quesas Islands belonged to the French. One of the chiefs 
replied, " No ; the land is not yours. It belongs to this 
people ; and there never was a Frenchman born on Fatu- 
hiva ; and these teachers must not be sent back." So 
the Hawaiians were not sent away.' " 

" Grood for the chief ! " exclaimed Eugene. " The 
French have no business on the islands, if they 're not 
wanted there — no more business than they have in 
Madagascar." 

" There you are right," said the Captain, approvingly. 

" I 'm glad you think so — Chester, what have you 
found in that great book ? " 

His brother had left the quarter-deck for a moment, 
and now returned with a large open book in his hands. 

" I have found something that I think will interest you 
all," he said, as he resumed his seat. 

" What is it ? " asked Eugene.* 

"The Professor has emphatically declared that the 
Marquesans have no history, has he not?" 

" That's what he said." 

" Well, I have found a bit of genuine Marquesan his- 
tory, and so closely interwoven with our own, that I 
am sure it must prove entertaining." 

"What is it, brother?" 

" The account of Commodore Porter's visit to this 
people." 

" You can hardly call that history, Chester," smiled 
the Professor. 



162 THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

" Why not ? " asked the young man. " It is an authen- 
tic account of what happened among them at a very 
important period." 

" A very brief period." 

" True ; but then I said it was a hit of history." 

" Never mind whether it be history or not," interposed 
Eugene ; let us have the story ; we can name it after- 
wards." 

" I agree to that," laughed the Professor ; " and beg 
that Chester will begin." 

" I shall not undertake to give you the whole story, 
just as it is written," premised Chester ; " that, perhaps, 
would be too great an affliction. The less important 
parts I will condense, and let the Commodore speak fully 
when he has something graphic or particularly inter- 
esting to say." 

"All right; go ahead," nodded Eugene condescend- 
ingly. 

" Another thing," added Chester, in way of explana- 
tion, " the Commodore's names for the islands do not 
quite agree with those mentioned by the Professor ; and 
I think he does not designate the clusters in the same 
way." 

" I don't wonder at that," said CajDtain Bradford, " the 
clusters and islands, like all the archipelagoes in the 
Pacific, have more names than a royal prince of Spain." 

" Perhaps," suggested the Professor, " the best way to 
designate the islands would be that adopted by a certain 
French authority. He calls the whole group the Men- 
dana Archipelago ; the northern cluster, Washington ; . 
the southern, Marquesas ; the names for single islands 
it is hard to find a rule for." 

" I believe in giving them the native names," said 
Chester. 

"Perhaps that would be the most proper course," 
assented the Professor. 



THE MAEQUESAS ISLANDS. 163 

" It would," exclaimed Eugene, " for it is the only just 
course." 

" Well," interposed the Captain, " now let 's hear what 
the Commodore has to sa3^" 

" It was on the 24th of October, 1813, that Commodore 
Porter sighted what he calls the island of Rooahooga, 
one of the Washington group of the Marquesas Islands," 
prefaced Chester. 

" That is what is now called Uahuga or Washington 
Island," commented the Professor. 

" Well, after mentioning the other islands of the 
cluster, he proceeds to describe this one." 

" What does he say ? " asked Eugene. 

'^' ' Its aspect,' he says, ' on first making it, was little 
better than the barren and desolate islands we had been 
so long among; but on our nearer approach the fertile 
valleys, whose beauties were heightened by the' pleasant 
streams and clusters of houses, and intervened by groups 
of the natives on the hills inviting us to land, produced a 
contrast much to the advantage of the islands we were 
now about visiting — indeed the extreme fertility of the 
soil, as it appeared to us after rounding the southeast 
point of the island, produced sensations we had been little 
accustomed to, and made us long for the fruits with which 
the trees appeared everywhere loaded. 

" ' On rounding the southeast part of the island we saw 
a canoe coming off to the ship with eight of the natives, 
one of whom was seated in the bow with his head orna- 
mented with yellow leaves, which at a distance we sup- 
posed to be feathers. They approached us very cau- 
tiously, and would not venture alongside until we had run 
very close in. We had a native of the island of Otaheite 
on board, who enabled them, but with apparent difficulty, 
to comprehend our wishes, and who gave them repeated 
assurances of our friendly disposition. They frequently 



164 THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 

repeated to us the word taya^ which signifies friend, and 
invited us to the shore. Their bodies were entirely- 
naked, and their chief ornament consisted in the dark 
and fanciful lines formed by tattooing, which covered 
them. On their leaving us I bore away for several other 
canoes which were launched from the different coves with 
which the coast was indented, but nothing could induce 
them to come near the ship. I was anxious to procure 
some refreshments, but more so to obtain a knowledge of 
a people with whom the world is so little acquainted. 
One of the canoes displayed a white flag. I caused a sim- 
ilar emblem of peace to be exhibited, and after waiting 
some time, perceiving that thej^ were fearful of coming 
alongside, I caused two boats to be manned and armed, 
and proceeded toward them. I soon approached them, 
and directed the Otaheitan to inform them that we were 
friendly disposed, and were willing to purchase of them 
the articles they had to sell, which consisted of hogs, 
plantains, bread-fruit, cocoanuts, etc., and through the 
same medium informed them that I should proceed to the 
shore, and there remain as a hostage for their safety. 
Some of them went off to the ship, but the greater num- 
ber followed me to the shore, where they were collected 
in groups, armed with their spears and war-clubs, to 
receive me, and collecting in considerable numbers- from 
every quarter. I went close in with my boat, where I 
(made an exchange of pieces of iron hoops and other arti- 
|cles for their ornaments and fruit. In a few minutes the 
'spears and war-clubs were laid aside, and swarms of 
natives swam off to me loaded with the produce of the 
island. All scenied greatly to rejoice that we had so pre- 
cious an article to offer them as pieces of old iron hoops, 
which were held in such high estimation that good-sized 
pigs were purchased for a few inches. Some, to express 
their joy, were seen dancing on the beach with the most 



THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 165 

extravagant gestures, while others expressed the pleasure 
they felt by shouting and clapping their hands. But, not- 
withstanding this friendly intercourse, it was very evident 
that they had strong suspicions of us. They always 
approached the boat with the greatest awe and agitation, 
and in every instance, where articles were presented to 
them, they shrunk back with terror, and retreated to the 
shore with the utmost precipitation. One among them, 
however, ventured to raise himself by the side of the boat, 
and perceiving a pistol lying in the stern sheets, showed 
an evident desire to possess it. It was with some diffi- 
culty I could make him let go his hold of the boat ; and 
to intimidate him I presented the pistol at him ; but it 
produced no other effect than joy, as he immediately held 
out both his hands to receive it, from which I concluded 
that they were unacquainted with the use of fire-arms. 

" ' After leaving these friendly people I proceeded for 
the frigate, where I found the traffic with the canoes, that 
had gone off, had been conducted with much harmony. 
Some of them I passed very close to on their return, and 
the natives on board them expressed their extreme satis- 
faction by expressions of the most extravagant joy. One 
of them in the fullness of his heart, said he was so glad 
he longed to get on shore to dance. On rejoining the 
ship I was informed by the officers that the natives who 
had been on board had expressed much surprise at the 
sight of the goats, sheep, dogs, and other animals ; but 
what seemed most to astonish them was one of the large 
Galapagos tortoises. It seemed as though they could not 
sufficiently feast their eyes on it ; and to view it more at 
their ease they stretched themselves at full length on the 
deck around it; and this appeared to be their general 
practice when they wished to view leisurely any object 
that excited their attention, a practice which seems to 
bespeak the natural indolence of this people. 



166 THE MAEQUESAS ISLANDS. 

" ' The men of tliis island are remarkably handsome ; 
of large stature and well proportioned ; they possess every 
variety of countenance and feature, and a great difference 
is observable in the color of the skin, which for the most 
part is that of a copper color ; but some are as fair as the 
generality of working people much exposed to the sun of 
warm climate. The old men Qmt particularly the chiefs) 
are entirely black ; but this is owing wholly to the prac- 
tice of tattooing, with which they are covered all over, and 
it requires a close inspection to perceive that the black- 
ness of their skin is owing to this cause ; and when the 
eye is once familiarized with men ornamented after this 
manner we perceive a richness in the skin of an old man 
highly tattooed comparable to that which we perceive in 
a highly wrought piece of old mahogany ; for, on a minute 
examination, may be discovered innumerable lines, curved, 
straight, and irregular, drawn with the utmost correct- 
ness, taste, and symmetry, and yet apparently without 
order or any determined plan. The young men, the fair- 
ness of whose skin is contrasted by the ornaments of tat- 
tooing, certainly have, at first sight, a more handsome 
appearance than those entirely covered with it ; but in a 
short time Ave are induced to think that tattooing is as 
necessary an ornament for a native of these islands as 
clothing is for an European. The neatness and beauty 
with which this species of ornament is finished served 
greatly to surprise us, and we could not help believing 
that they had among them tattooers by profession, some 
of them, no doubt, equal in celebrity to the most renowned 
tailors of America, for we afterward discovered that the 
most wealthy and high class was more fully and hand- 
somely tattooed than those of an inferior station, which is 
a sufficient evidence that tattooing has its price. 

" ' The young girls that we had an opportunity of 
seeing, were, as I before observed, handsome and well 



THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 167 

formed; their skins were remarkably soft and smooth, 
and their complexions no darker than many brunettes in 




TATTOOED MARQUESAN CHIEFS. 



America celebrated for their beauty. Their modesty was 
more evident than that of the women of any place we 
have visited since leaving our own country. Nakedness 



168 



THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 



they cannot consider offensive to modesty ; they are 
accustomed to it from their infancy. I find no difficulty 
in believing that an American lady, who exposes to view 
her face, her bosom, and her arms, is as modest and vir- 
tuous as the wife of a Turk, who is seen only by her 
husband; or that a female of the Washington group, 
who is seen in a state of nature, may be as modest and 
virtuous as either. That they have a high sense of 
shame and pride, I had afterwards many opportunities 
of observing.' " 

" Sail ho ! " came suddenly from the lookout forward, 
and the Captain and Mr. Morgan rushed away. 

Presently the others became interested in the stranger, 
and the book was laid aside for the day. 




NECK ORNAMENT. 



CHAPTER XI. 
NUKAHIVA — A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 

OUR friends were early on the quarter-deck next 
morning, and Chester was speedily urged to go on 
with the Commodore's story. 

" Well," he said, after referring to the volume, " I see 
that at daylight the following morning they bore up for 
Nukahiva, or, as he calls it, Madison's Island, where they 
put in to a beautiful bay, and came to anchor. This har- 
bor the Commodore named Massachusetts Bay. Here he 
was soon joined by the Essex Junior, which vessel had 
parted company to cruise, when he believed himself suffi- 
ciently secure to commence a regular overhauling of the 
ships. 

" As the Essex stood in toward the land, a boat came 
off from the shore with three white men in her, one of 
whom, to Porter's great astonishment, proved to be John 
M. Maury, an American midshipman, who had left the 
United States on furlough in a merchant-ship. He had 
been left on the island by the master of the vessel to 
gather sandal-wood while the ship was gone to China. 
As it was supposed the war would prevent the return of 
the ship, Mr. Maury and his party were received on board 
the frigate. Wilson, one of them, was an Englishman 
by birth. He had been many years on the islands, and 
with the exception of a cloth around his loins, was com- 
pletely naked. His body was tattooed all over, and in 
every respect except color he had become a Polynesian. 
He assisted Commodore — then Captain — Porter as in- 

(169) 



170 NUKAHIVA. 

terpreter, and without his aid he would have succeeded 
badly on the island. 

" Porter landed with a party of marines and sailors. 
The drum appeared to give the natives much pleasure ; 
and the regular movements of the marines occasioned 
great astonishment. They said they were spirits, or 
beings of a class different from other men. ' I directed 
them,' says Porter, ' to be put through their exercises ; 
and the firing of the muskets occasioned but little terror, 
except among the women, who generally turned away 
their faces and covered their ears with their hands. The 
men and boys were all attention to the skipping of the 
balls in the water; but at every fire all habitually inclined 
their bodies, as if to avoid the shot, although behind the 
men who were firing. After remaining a short time with 
them, I distributed among them some knives, fish-hooks, 
etc., which they received with much apparent pleasure ; 
but no one offered, like the natives of the other island, 
anything in return. 

" ' Observing the mountains surrounding the valleys to 
be covered with numerous groups of natives, I inquired 
the cause, and was informed that a warlike tribe residing 
beyond the mountains had been for several weeks at war 
with the natives of the valley, into which they had made 
several incursions, and had destroyed many houses and 
plantations, and had killed, by cutting around the bark, a 
great number of bread-fruit trees. 

" ' I inquired if it were possible to get a message to 
them ; and was informed that notwithstanding they were 
at war and showed no quarter to each other, there were 
certain persons of both tribes who were permitted to jDass 
and repass freely and uninterrupted from one tribe to 
another ; such, for example, as a man belonging to one 
tribe who had married a woman belonging to the other. 
I inquired if any such were present; and one being 



NUKAHIVA, 171 

pointed out to me, I directed him to proceed to the 
Happahs, and to tell them that I had come with a force 
sufficiently strong to drive them from the island, and if 
they presumed to enter the valley while I remained there, 
I should send a body of men to chastise them ; "to tell 
them to cease all hostilities so long as I remained among 
them ; that if they had hogs or fruit to dispose of, they 
might come and trade freely with us, as I should not permit 
the natives of the valley to injure or molest them. To 
the natives of the valley — who listened attentively and 
with apparent pleasure to the message sent to the Hap- 
pahs — I then addressed myself, and assured them that 
I had come with the most friendly disposition; that I 
wanted nothing from them but what I paid for; that 
they must look on us as brethren ; and that I should 
protect them against the Happahs should they again 
venture to descend from the mountains. I directed 
them to leave at home their spears, slings, and clubs — 
their only weapons of war — in order that we might 
know them from the Happahs ; and told them that I 
should consider all as my enemies who should appear 
armed in my presence. All listened with much atten- 
tion; their spears and clubs were thrown on one side. 
'My attention was soon drawn to an object w^hich at the 
moment had presented itself. A handsome young 
woman, of about eighteen years of age, her complexion 
fairer than common, hercarriage majestic, and her dress 
better and somewhat different from the other females, 
approached. Her glossy black hair and her skin were 
highly anointed with the cocoanut oil, and her whole 
person and appearance neat, sleek, and comely. On 
inquiry who this dignified personage might be, I was 
informed that her name was Piteenee, a grand-daughter 
of the chief, or greatest man in the valley, whose name 
was Crattanewa, This lady, on whose countenance was 



172 NUKAHIVA. 

not to be perceived any of those playful smiles which 
enliven the countenances of the others, I was informed 
was held in great estimation, on account of her rank 
and beauty ; and I felt that it would be necessary, from 
motives of policy, to pay some attentions to a personage 
so exalted. She received my advances with a coldness 
and hauteur which would have suited a princess, and 
repelled everything like familiarity with a sternness that 
astonished me. 

" ' Gattanewa, the chief of the Tayehs, the tribe who 
inhabited this valley, I was informed at the time of my 
landing, was at a fortified village, which was pointed out 
to me, on the top of one of the highest mountains. The 
manner of fortifying these places, is to plant closely on 
end, the bodies of large trees, of forty feet in length, and 
securing them together by pieces of timber strongly 
lashed across, presenting on the brow of a hill, difficult 
of access, a breastwork of considerable extent, which 
would require European artillery to destroy. At the 
back of this a scaffolding is raised, on which is placed 
a platform for the warriors, who ascend by the means of 
ladders, and thence shower down on their assailants 
spears and stones. 

" ' When the ship was moored, the shore was lined 
with the natives of both sexes ; but the females were 
more numerous, waving their white cloaks or cahoes for 
us to come on shore. The boats were got out, and pro- 
ceeded to the shore, where, on landing, they were taken 
complete possession of by the women, who insisted on 
going to the ship, and in a short time she was completely 
filled by them, of all ages and descriptions, from the age 
of sixty years to that of ten ; some as remarkable for 
their beauty as others for their ugliness. The ship was 
a perfect bedlam from the time of their arrival until 
their departure, which was not until morning, when they 



NUKAHIVA. 173 

were put on shore, not only with whatever was given 
them, but with whatever they could lay their hands on. 

" ' The object of the greatest value at this as well asj' 
all the other islands of the group, is whales' teeth. Nok 
jewel, however valuable, is half so much esteemed in 
Europe or America, as is a whale's tooth here. I have 
seen them by fits laugh and cry for joy at the possession ■ 
of one of these darling treasures. Some idea may be 
formed of the value in which they are held by the na- 
tives, when it is known that a ship of three hundred 
tons burden may be loaded with sandal-wood at this 
island, and the only object of trade necessary to procure 
it, is ten whales' teeth of a large size; and for these 
the natives will cut it, bring it from the distant moun- 
tains, and take it on board the ship ; and this cargo in 
China would be worth near a million of dollars. I have 
seen this sandal-wood, that is so highly esteemed by the 
Chinese ; — indeed, their infatuation for it falls little 
short of that of the natives for whales' teeth — it does 
not appear capable of receiving a high polish, nor is its 
color agreeable ; the odor arising from it is pleasant, 
and the principal uses to which the Chinese are said 
to apply it, is to burn it in their temples, and to extract 
from it an oil which is said to be of great value.' 

" In a short time," Chester continued, after pausing 
for a moment, and slowly turning several leaves, " Gat- 
tanewa, the chief, came on board the Essex. Most of 
the warriors they had seen were highly ornamented with 
plumes, and were attired in all the gew-gaws of savage 
splendor. They generally carried a black and highly 
polished spear, or a club richly carved, and their bodies 
were elegantly tattooed. You can judge then what 
was Porter's astonishment when Gattanewa presented 
himself, an infirm old man of seventy years of age, 
•destitute of every covering or ornament except a nar- 



174 NUKAHIVA. 

row cloth around his loins, and a piece of palm leaf tied 
about his head." 

Then resumino' his readina; : 




MARQUESAN CHIEF. 



" ' A long stick,' says Porter, ' seemed to assist him in 
walking ; his face and bod}' were as black as a negro's, 



■NUKAHIVA. 175 

from the quantity of tattooing, which entirely covered 
them, and his skin was rough, and appeared to be peel- 
ing off in scales, from the quantity of kava with which 
he had indulged himself. Such was the figure that Gat- 
tanewa presented; and as he had drank freely of the 
kava before he made his visit, he appeared to be perfectly 
stupid. After he had been a short time on deck, I 
endeavored to impress him with a high opinion of our 
force ; and for this purpose assembled all my crew ; it 
scarcely seemed to excite his attention. I then caused a 
gun to be fired, which seemed to produce no other effect 
on him than that of pain ; he complained that it hurt his 
ears ; I then invited him below, where nothing whatever 
excitedTns attention, until I showed him some whales' 
teeth ; this roused the old man from his lethargy, and 
he would not be satisfied until I had permitted him to 
handle, to measure, and count them over and over, which 
seemed to afford him infinite pleasure. After he had 
done this repeatedly, I put them away; and shortly after- 
wards asked him if he had seen anything in the ship 
that pleased him ; if so, to name it and it should be his. 
He told me he had seen nothing which had pleased him 
so much as one of the small whale's teeth, which on his 
describing, I took out and gave to him ; this he carefully 
wrapped up in one of the turns of his cloth, begging me 
not to inform any person that he had about him an 
article of so much value ; I assured him that I would 
not; and the old man threw himself on the settee and 
went to sleep. In a few minutes he awoke, somewhat 
recovered from his stupidity, and requested to be put on 
shore ; he, however, previous to his departure, wished me 
to exchange names with him, and requested me to assist 
him in his war with the Happahs ; to the first I imme- 
diately consented. He told me. they had cursed the bones 
of his mother, who had died but a short time before; 



176 NUKAHIVA. 

that as we had exchanged names, she was now my 
mother, and I was bound to espouse her cause. I told 
him I would think of the subject, and did not think it 
necessary to make any further reply to the old man's 
sophistry.' " 

" Permit me to remind you, Chester, that you prom- 
ised to skip all but the most interesting parts," warned 
Eugene, who had beared quite enough of the old chief. 

" Thank you," responded his brother, " I '11 make a 
break right here, and merely give you a synopsis of the 
next few pages." 

" That's right ; only don't leave out anything of im- 
portance." 

" I will endeavor not to. Well, Commodore Porter 
now unbent the sails of the Essex and sent them on 
shore ; landed his water casks, with which he formed a 
complete inclosure, and the ship was hauled close within 
the beach, and they began to make their repairs. A tent 
was erected, and the whole placed under a guard of 
marines. In the meanwhile the Happahs descended in 
a large body into the valley, and destroyed an immense 
number of the bread-fruit trees. They sent word that 
inasmuch as the Americans had not opposed them they 
believed they were cowards, and that they should visit 
their camp and carry off their sails. Before proceeding 
to extremities. Commodore Porter thought he would try 
and frighten them out of their hostile notions. As Gat- 
tanewa made daily applications for assistance. Porter at 
length told him that if his people would carry a heavy 
gun, a six-pounder, up to the top of a high mountain 
which he pointed out to him, he would send men up to 
work it and drive away the Happahs, who still kept pos- 
session of the surrounding hills. This was unanimously 
agreed to by every man in the valley. On the gun being 
landed, he caused a few shots to be fired over the water, 



A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 177 

first with ball and then with grape shot, which last 
particularly so delighted those simple people that they 
hugged and kissed the gun, and lay down beside it and 
caressed it with the utmost fondness. 

" And now let the Commodore speak for himself again : 
u i "Wi^iie the natives were employed with their darling 
gun,' he says, ' I occupied myself in forwarding as much 
as possible the ship's duty. No work was exacted from 
any person after four o'clock in the afternoon ; the rest of 
the day was given to repose and amusement, one-fourth 
of the crew being allowed after that hour to go on shore, 
there to remain until daylight next morning. Everything 
went on as well as I could have wished, and much better 
than I could possibly have expected. The day .after the 
gun Avas moved for the mountains, the chief warrior of 
the Tayehs, named Mouina, was introduced to me. He 
was a tall, well-shaped man of about thirty-five years 
of age, remarkably active, of an intelligent and open 
countenance, and his whole appearance was prepossess- 
ing. He had just left the other warriors in the fortified 
village, and had come down to request me to cause a 
musket to be fired — which he called a bouJii — that he 
might witness its effects. Several individuals of the tribe 
of the Happahs were at that moment about the camp, and 
I was pleased at the opportunity which was afforded me 
to convince them of the folly of resisting our firearms 
with slings and spears. I fired several times myself at 
a mark to show them that I never failed of hitting an 
object the size of a man. I then directed the marines to 
fire by volleys at a cask, which was soon like a riddle. 

" ' Mouina appeared much pleased with the effect of 
our musketry, and frequently exclaimed, Mattee, mattes f 
killed, killed ! The Happahs who were present, how- 
ever, replied that nothing could persuade their tribe that 
houliies could do them the injury that we pretended; 



178 A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 

that they were determined to try the effects of a battle, 
and if they should be beaten, that they would be willing 
to make peace, but not before. I informed them that 
they would not find me so ready to make peace after 
beating them, as at present, and that I should insist on 
being paid for the trouljle they might put me to. Seeing 
that these strange people were resolutely bent on trying 
the effect of their arms against ours, I thought that the 
sooner they were convinced of their folly, the better. 
Indeed, it became absolutely necessary to do something, 
for the Happahs present informed me that their tribe 
believed that we were afraid to attack them, as Ave had 
threatened so much without attempting anything ; and 
this idea,, I found, began to prevail among those of our 
valley, which is called the valley of Tieuhoy, and the 
people ITavouhs, Parques, Hoattas, etc., for the valley is 
subdivided into other valleys by the hills, and each small 
valley is inhabited by distinct tribes, governed by their 
own laws, and having their own chiefs and priests. 

" ' On the 28th of October, Gattanewa, with several of 
the warriors, came to inform me that the gun was at 
the foot of the mountain, where I had directed it to 1)e 
carried, and that it vvould have reached the summit by 
the time our people could get up there. I informed 
them that, on the next morning at daylight, forty men, 
with their muskets, would be on shore and in readiness 
to march ; and as I supposed it would be impossiljle for 
our people to sqaIc the mountains, when incumbered with 
their arms, I desired them to send me forty natives for 
the purpose of carrying their muskets, and an equal 
number to carry provisions, as well as ammunition for 
the six-pounder, which they promised me should be done, 
and every arrangement was made accordingly, and the 
command of the expedition given to Lieutenant Downes. 

" ' On the morning of the 29th, the party being on 



A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 179 

shore, consisting cliiefly of the crew of the J^ssex Junior 
and the detachment of marines, each man being fur- 
nished with a native to carry his arms, and spare natives 
to carry provisions and other articles, I gave the order to 
march. About eleven o'clock I perceived that our people 
had gained the mountains, and were driving the Happahs 
from height to height, they fighting as they retreated, 
and daring our men to follow them with threatening 
gesticulations. A native, who bore the American flag, 
waved it in triumph as he skipped along the moun- 
tains — they were attended by a large concourse of 
friendly natives, armed as usual, but who generally kept 
in the rear of our men. Mouina alone was seen in the 
advance of the whole, and was well known by his scarlet 
cloak and waving plumes. In about an hour we lost 
sight of the combatants, and saw no more of them until 
about four o'clock, when they were discovered descending 
the mountains on their return, the natives bearing five 
dead bodies slung on poles. 

" ' Lieutenant Downes and his men soon after arrived 
at the camp, overcome with the fatigue of an exercise to 
which they had Iteen so little accustomed. He informed 
me that on his arrival near the tops of the mountains, 
the Happahs, stationed on the summit, had assailed him 
and his men with stones and spears ; that he had driven 
them from place to place until they had taken refuge in 
a fortress, erected in a manner before described, on the 
brow of a steep hill. Here they all made a stand, to' 
the number of between three and four thousand. They 
dared our people to ascend this hill, at the foot of which 
they had made a halt to take breath. The word was 
given by Mr. Downes to rush up the hill ; at that instant 
a stone struck him in the stomach and laid him breath- 
less on the ground, and at the same instant one of our 
people was pierced with a spear through the neck. This 



180 A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 

occasioned a halt, and they were about abandoning any 
further attempt on the place ; but Mr. Downes soon 
recovered, and finding himself able to walk, gave orders 
for a charge. Hitherto our party had done nothing. Not 
one of the enemy had, to their knowledge, been wounded. 
They scoffed at our men, and treated them with the 
utmost contempt and derision. The friendly natives also 
began to think we were not so formidable as we pre- 
tended ; it became, therefore, absolutely necessary that 
the fort should be taken at all hazards. Our people gave 
three cheers, and rushed on through a shower of spears 
and stones, which the natives threw from behind their 
strong barrier, and it was not until our men entered the 
fort that they thought of retreating. Five were at this 
instant shot dead ; and one in particular, fought until 
the muzzle of the piece was presented to his forehead, 
when the top of his head was entirely blown off. As 
soon as this place was taken all further resistance was at 
an end. 

" ' It was shocking to see the manner the friendly 
natives treated such as were knocked over with a shot ; 
they rushed on them with their war-clubs and soon dis- 
patched them ; then each seemed anxious to dip his 
spear in the blood, which nothing could induce them to 
wipe off — the spear from that time bore the name of the 
dead warrior, and its value, in consequence, was greatly 
enhanced. 

" ' Gattanewa was astonished at our victory, which, to 
him, seemed incredible ; and the number of dead which 
they had borne off as trophies had far exceeded that of 
any former battle within his recollection ; as they fight 
for weeks, nay, for months sometimes, without killing 
any on either side, though many are, in all their engage- 
ments, severely wounded. The Tayehs had, however, a 
short time before our arrival, lost one of their priests of 



A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 181 

the gre-^test note, who had been killed by an ambuscade 
of the Happahs ; and this circumstance had occasioned a 
taboo of the strictest nature to be established, which was 
now in full force, and continued as long as we remained 
on the island. 

"'I am not acquainted with the ceremony of laying 
on these tabooes, which are so much respected by the 
.natives. They are, however, laid by the priests, from 
some religious motives. Sometimes they are general, 
and affect a whole valley, as the present ; sometimes 
they are confined to a single tribe ; at others, to a family, 
and frequently to a single person. The word tahoo signi- 
fies an interdiction, an embargo, or restraint; and the 
restrictions during the period of their existence may be 
compared to the Lent of Catholics. They have tabooed 
places, where they feast and drink kava — tabooed houses, 
where dead bodies are deposited, and many of their trees, 
and even some' of their walks are tabooed. 

"'But to proceed — '" 

" A good idea," murmured Eugene, approvingly. 

Chester smiled, and went on : 

" ' The Tayehs had brought in the bodies of the five 
men killed in storming the fort. We met with no loss 
on our side or on that of our allies. We had two 
wounded, and one of our natives' had his jaw broken 
with a stone. The dead Happahs, I was informed, were 
lying in the public square, where the natives were rejoic- 
ing over them. I had been informed by the whites, on 
my arrival, and even by Wilson, that the natives of this 
island were cannibals ; but, on the strictest inquiry, I 
could not learn that either of them had seen them in the 
act of eating human flesh. In conversing with Gatta- 
newa on the subject, he did not hesitate to acknowledge 
that it was sometimes practiced. He said they sometimes 
ate their enemies. I found it difficult to reconcile this 



182 A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 

practice with the generosity and benevolence which were 
leading traits in their character. They are cleanly in 
their persons, washing three or four times a day ; and 
also in their mode of cooking, and manner of eating; 
and it was remarked, that no islander was known to taste 
of anything whatever until he had first applied it to his 
nostrils, and if it was in the slightest degree tainted or 
offensive to the smell, it was always rejected. How, 
then, can it be possil:)le that a people so delicate, living 
•in a country abounding with hogs, fruit, and a consider- 
able variety of vegetables, should prefer a loathsome, 
putrid, human carcase, to the numerous delicacies their 
valleys afford ? 

" ' I proceeded to the house of Gattanewa, which I 
found filled with women making the most dreadful lam- 
entations, and surrounded by a large concourse of male 
natives. On my appearance there was a general shout 
of terror ; all fixed their eyes on me with looks of fear 
and apprehension. I approached the wife of Gattanewa, 
and requested to know the cause of this alarm. She 
said now that we had destroyed the Happahs they were 
fearful we should turn on them. She took hold of my 
hand, which she kissed, and moistened with her tears ; 
then placing it on her head, knelt to kiss my feet. She 
told me they were willing to be our slaves, to serve us, 
that their houses, their lands, their hogs, and everything 
belonging to them were ours ; but begged that I would 
have mercy on her, her children, and her family, and not 
put them to death. It seemed that they had worked 
themselves up to the highest pitch of fear, and on my 
appearance with a sentinel accompanying me, they could 
see in me nothing but the demon of destruction. I raised 
the poor old woman from her humble posture, and begged 
her to banish her groundless fears ; that I had no inten- 
tion of injuring any person residing in the valley of Tieu- 



A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 183 

hoy ; that if the Happahs had drawn on themselves our 
vengeance, and felt our resentment, they had none to 
blame but themselves. I had offered them peace, but 
they had preferred war ; I had proffered them my friend- 
ship, and they had spurned it. That there was no alter- 
native left me. I had chastised them, and was appeased. 
I then exhorted the wife of Gattanewa to endeavor to 
impress on the minds of every person the necessity of 
living on friendly terms with us ; that we were disposed 
to consider them as brothers ; that we had come with 
no hostile intentions toward them, and so long as they 
treated us as friends we would protect them against all 
their enemies. The old woman was all attention to my 
discourse as delivered through Wilson the interpreter ; 
and I was about proceeding when she requested me to 
stop. She now rose and commanded silence among the 
multitude, which had considerably augmented since my 
arrival, and addressed them with much grace and energy 
in a speech of about half an hour ; exhorting them, as I 
understood, to conduct themselves with propriety, and 
explaining to them the advantages likely to result from a 
good understanding with us. After she had finished, 
she took me affectionately by the hand, and reminded me 
that I was her husband.' " 

" There ! " exclaimed Eugene hastily, " I think you 
had better stop there, Chester. We 've heard enough for 
to-day." 

" Why, what 's the matter ? " asked his brother, looking 
up in surprise. 

" He thinks," laughed Captain Bradford, " that the old 
woman is disposed to take advantage of Porter's good 
nature, and that she is going to take full possession of 
him." 

" Why," explained Chester, " she only wanted to re- 
mind him that he and her husband, Gattanewa, had 
exchanged names." 



184 A BATTLE WITH A NATIVE TRIBE. 

" No matter," said Eugene emphatically, " I think yve 
had better postpone the rest of the story till another 
day." 

" Very good," said Chester, as he closed the book and 
started to his feet, " I'm perfectly agreeable. And as the 
steward is trying to make us understand that luncheon is 
ready, I think, on the whole, it is a good plan. Come," 
and the little party descended to the saloon. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE VALLEY OF TIEUHOY— THE TYPEES. 

IT was not long after breakfast the next morning when 
the members of our little party again found them- 
selves comfortably seated on the quarter-deck ; and it was 
Eugene himself who speedily inquired of his brother if he 
wasn't about ready to go on with his story. 

"Ah! you want to hear the rest of it, do you?" 
laughed Chester good naturedly. 

" Of course we do. Can't you see that we are all wait- 
ing for you ? " 

" If the wish is really unanimous " began Chester. 

" Of course it is, I tell you," broke in his brother. 

" Yery well, then, I will take up the story where I left 
it," and, opening the book, he began : 

" ' All alarms now were subsided. I inquired for Gat- 
tanewa, and was informed that he was at the public 
square rejoicing over the bodies of the slain, but had been 
sent for. I proceeded toward the place, and met the old 
man hastening home. He had been out from the earliest 
dawn, and had not broken his fast. He had in one hand 
a cocoanut shell, containing a quantity of sour preparation 
of the bread-fruit, which is highly esteemed by the natives, 
and in the other a raw fish, which he occasionally dipped 
into it as he ate it. As soon, however, as Wilson gave 
him to understand that the practice of eating raw fish was 
disagreeable to me, he wrapped the remainder in a palm 
leaf, and handed it to a youth to keep for him until a 
more convenient opportunity offered for indulging him- 

(185) 



186 THE VALLEY OF TIEUHOY. 

self. On my way to the square I observed several young 
warriors hastening along toward the place armed with 
their spears, at the ends of which were hung plantains, 
bread-fruit, or cocoanuts, intended as offerings to their 
gods ; and on my approach to the square I could hear 
them beating their drums and chanting their war songs. 
I soon discovered five or six hundred of them assembled 
about the dead bodies, which were lying on the ground.' " 
" Never mind the dead men, Chester," said his brother ; 
" but go on with something of more importance." 

" Very well," was the reply. And Chester continued : 
" ' We had but little opportunity of gaining a knowledge 
of the language of these people while we remained among 
them ; but from the little we became acquainted with we 
are satisfied that it is not copious ; few words serve to 
express all they wish to say ; and one word has often- 
times many significations ; as, for example, the word 
motee signifies / thank you, I have enough:^ I do not want 
it, I do not like it, keep it yourself, take it away, etc. 
Mattee expresses every degree of injury which can happen 
to a person or thing, from the slightest harm to the most 
cruel death. Thus, a prick of the finger is mattee, to have 
a pain in any part is mattee ; mattee is to be sick, to be 
badly wounded is mattee, and mattee is to kill or be killed, 
to be broken (when speaking of inanimate objects), to be 
injured in any way, even to be dirtied or soiled is ex- 
pressed by the word mattee. Motakee, with slight varia- 
tion of the voice, signifies every degree of good, from a 
thing merely tolerable, to an object of the greatest excel- 
lence ; thus, it is so, so good, very good, excellent ; it signi- 
fies the qualities and disposition of persons ; thus, they 
are tolerable, likely, handsome, or beautiful, — good, kind, 
benevolent, generous, humane. Keheva, which signifies 
bad, is as extensive in its use as motakee, and, by suitable 
modulations of the voice, has meanings directly opposite. 



THE TALLEY OF TIEUHOY. 187 

This is the case with many other words in their language ; 
indeed, with all we became acquainted with. Kie-kie 
signifies to eat ; it also signifies a troublesome fellow. 

" ' The hogs of this island are generally of a small and 
inferior breed, but there are many as large and as fine as 
those of any part of the world. According to the tradi- 
tions of the natives, many generations ago, a god named 
Haii visited all the islands of the group, and brought with 
him hogs and fowls, which he left among them. Haii 
was, no doubt, some navigator, who, near four centuries 
ago, by their reckoning, left the aforesaid animals among 
the natives. Our accounts of voyages made into this sea 
do not extend so far back ; and, even if they did, we 
should be at a loss to know him from the name given to 
him by the natives. We found it impossible for them to 
pronounce our names distinctly, even after the utmost 
pains to teach them, and the most repeated trials on their 
part. They gave me the name of Opotee, which was the 
nearest they could come to Porter. Mr. Downes was 
called Onou ; Lieut. Wilmer Wooreme, and the name of 
everyone else underwent an equal change. These names 
we were called by and answered to so long as we remained 
with them ; and it is not improbable that we shall be so 
called in their traditionary accounts. If there should be 
no other means of handing our names down to posterity 
it is likely we shall be as little known to future navigators 
as Haii is to us. The natives call a hog bouarka, or 
rather pouarka ; and it is likely that they still retain the 
name nearly by which they were first known to them. 
The Spaniards call a hog porca, giving it a sound very 
little different from that given by the natives of these 
islands ; and as the Spaniards were the earliest navigators 
in these seas, there is scarcely a doubt that they are in- 
debted to one of that nation for so precious a gift.' " 

" That agrees with what you told us yesterday, Pro- 
fessor," remarked Eugene. 



188 THE VALLEY OF TIEUHOY. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " there is little doubt, I think, 
that the Spaniards left them the swine ; and it is no 
wonder that they looked upon them as gods." Then 
turning to Chester : " Well, my friend, what comes 
next?" 

" He refers to the cocoanut tree, next," said Chester ; 
" and states that it grows in great abundance in every 
valley of the island, and that it is cultivated with much 
care. He then mentions the manner of gathering the 
fruit, and says, ' As the cocoanuts become ripe, they are 
carefully collected from the tree, which is ascended by 
means of a slip of strong bark, with which they make 
their feet fast a little above the ankles, leaving them 
about a foot asunder ; they then grasp the tree with their 
arms, feet, and knees, and the strip of bark resting on the 
rough projections of the bark of the tree, prevents them 
from slipping down. In this manner,- by alternately 
shifting their feet and hands, they ascend with great 
apparent ease and rapidity the highest tree.' 

" The taro, he says, is a root much resembling a yam, 
of a pungent taste, and excellent when boiled or roasted. 
The sugar-cane grows to an uncommon size. The only 
use they make of it, however, is to chew it and swallow 
the juice. 

"He then mentions kava, and says pretty much what 
you said yesterday, Professor." 

" No matter ; let 's have it," exclaimed Eugene. 

" Well, then, ' the kava,^ he says, ' is a root possessing 
an intoxicating quality, with which the chiefs are very 
fond of indulging themselves. They employ persons of a 
lower class to chew it for them and spit it into a wooden 
bowl ; after which a small quantity of water is mixed 
with it, when the juice is strained into a neatly polished 
cup, made of a cocoanut-shell, and passed round among 
them. It renders them very stupid and averse to hear- 



THE VALLEY OF TIEUHOY. 189 

ing anj noise. It deprives them of their appetite, and 
reduces them almost to a state of torpor. It has the 
effect of making their skin fall off in white scales ; 
affects their nerves, and no doubt brings on a premature 
old age. They apply the word kava to everything we eat 
or drink of a heating or pungent nature, as rum or wine, 
pepper, mustard, and even salt.' 




KAVA BOWL. 

" He gives a very good description of the bread-fruit 
tree," said Chester, looking up inquiringly. 

" Then let 's have it, by all means," exclaimed his 
brother. 

The others joining in the request, Chester went on : 

" ' The bread-fruit tree of this island grows with great 
luxuriance, in extensive groves, scattered through every 
valley. It is of the height of fifty or sixty feet, branch- 
ing out in a large and spreading top, which affords a 
beautiful appearance and an extensive shade from the 
rays of the sun ; the trunk is about six feet in circum- 
ference ; the lower branches about twelve feet from the' 
ground ; the bark soft, and on being in the slightest 



190 THE VALLEY OF TIEUHOY. 

degree wounded exudes a milky juice, not unpleasant to 
the taste, which, on being exposed to the sun, forms an 
excellent bird-lime, and is used by the natives as such, 
not only for catching birds, but a small kind of rat with 
which this island is much infested. The leaves of this 
tree are sixteen inches long and nine inches wide, deeply 
notched, somewhat like the fig leaf. The fruit, when 
ripe, is about the size of a child's head, green, and divided 
by slight traces into innumerable six-sided figures. It is 
somewhat elliptical in its shape, has a thin and delicate 
skin, a large and tough core, with remarkably small seeds 
situated in a spongy substance between the core and the 
eatable part, which is next the rind. It is eaten baked, 
boiled, or roasted ; whole, quartered, or cut in slices and 
cooked ; either way was found exceedingly palatable, was 
greatly preferred by many to our soft bread, which it 
somewhat resembled in taste, but was much sweeter ; it 
was found also very fine when cut into slices and fried in 
butter or lard. It keeps only three or four days, when 
gathered and hung up ; but the natives have a method 
of preserving it for years, by baking, wrapping it up in 
leaves, and burying it in the ground : in that state it 
becomes very sour, and is then more highly esteemed by 
them than any other food. The bread-fruit tree is every- 
thing to the natives of these islands. The fruit serves 
them and their hogs for food throughout the year, and 
affords large supplies to be laid up for a season of 
scarcity. The trees afford them an agreeable and 
refreshing shade ; the leaves are an excellent covering 
for their houses ; of the inner bark of the small branches 
they make cloth ; the juice which exudes enables them 
to destroy the rats which infest, them ; and of the trunk 
of the tree they form their canoes, many of their houses, 
and even their gods. Describe to one of the natives of 
Nukahiva a country abounding in everything that we 



THE VALLEY OF TIEUHOY. 191 

consider desirable, and after you are done he will ask 
you if it produces bread-fruit. A country is nothing to 
them without that blessing, and the season for bread- 
fruit is the time of joy and festivity. The season com- 
mences in December, and lasts until September, Avhen 
the greatest abundance reigns among them.' 

" We now come to the treaties he made with the Hap- 
pahs and other* tribes, and an account of his war with 
the Typees and their neighbors." 

" That 's it ! " exclaimed Eugene ; " that 's what we 've 
been waiting for. Go on, Chester." And the elder 
continued : 

" ' On the first of November, Mowattaeeh, a chief of 
the Happahs, and son-in-law to Gattanewa, came, accom- 
panied by several others of his tribe, with the white 
handkerchief which I had sent them, to treat with me 
for peace. I received him with mildness, and gently 
expostulated with them on their imprudence, in having 
insisted on hostilities with me. They expressed the 
utmost regret for their past folly, and hoped that I 
would allow them in future to live on the same friendly 
terms with me as Gattanewa and his people, stating their 
willingness to comply with everything I should exact 
from them in reason. I informed them that as I had 
offered them peace and they had rejected it, and had put 
me to the trouble of chastising them, it was proper that 
we should receive some compensation. We were in want 
of hogs and fruit, and they had an abundance of them, 
and I wished them to give me a supply, once. a week, for 
my people, for which they should be compensated in 
iron and such other articles as would be most useful to 
them. Gattanewa and many of his tribe were present, 
and appeared charmed with the terms offered to the 
Happahs ; said they would henceforth be brothers, and 
observing that I had not yet presented my hand, took it 



192 THE VALLEY OF TIEUHOY. 

affectionately and placed it in that of Mowattaeeh. After 
a short silence Mowattaeeh observed that we must suffer 
much from the rain in our tents, as they did not appear 
capable of securing us from the wet. " Yes," said Gat- 
tanewa, "and we are bound to make the Hekai" — a title 
which they all gave me — " and his people comfortable 
while they remain with us. Let every tribe at peace 
with him, build a house for their accommodation, and 
the people of the valley of Tieuhoy will set them the 
example by building one for the residence of Opotee — 
Porter." This proposal met with general applause, and 
the people were immediately dispatched to prepare mate- 
rials for erecting the fabric next day, at which time the 
Happahs promised to bring in their supply, and the day 
after to construct their house. In the course of the 
day the other chiefs of the Happahs came in with their 
flags and subscribed to the terms proposed ; and in less 
than two days I received envoys from every tribe on the 
island, with the exception only of the warlike tribes of 
Typee, of the valley of Yieehee or Oomi, and the Hate- 
caahcotUv olios, in the distant valley of Hannahow ; the 
first confiding in their strength, valor, and position ; the 
others in their distance and numbers for their protection. 
The first had always been victorious in all their wars, 
and the terror of their enemies ; the others were their 
firm allies ; neither had they ever been driven ; they had 
been taught by their priests to believe that th.Qy never 
would be, and it was their constant boast that they had 
ever kept their valley free from the incursions of an 
enemy. 

" ' All agreed to the terms proposed ; supplies were 
brought in by the tribes in great abundance, and from 
this time for several weeks, we rioted in luxuries which 
the island afforded. To the principal persons of the 
tribes I always presented a harpoon, it being to them the 



THE TYPEES. 193 

most valuable article of iron, and to the rest scraps of 
iron hoops were thrown, in which the}^ took much delight. 

"'Agreeable to the request of the chiefs I laid down 
the plan of the village about to be built; the line on 
which the houses were to be placed was already ti'aced 
by our barrier of water casks ; they were to take the form 
of a crescent, were to be built on the outside of the 
inclosure, and to be connected with each other by a wall 
twelve feet in length and four feet in height ; the houses 
were to be fifty feet in length, built in the usual fashion 
of the country, and of a proportioned width and height. 

" ' On the third of November, upward of four thousand 
natives, from the different tribes, assembled at the camp 
with materials for building, and before night they had 
completed a dwelling-house for myself and another for 
the officers, a sail-loft, a cooper's shop, and a place for 
our sick, a bake-house, a guard house, and a shed for the 
sentinel to walk under ; the whole were connected by the 
walls as above described. We removed our barrier of 
water-casks, and took possession of our delightful village, 
which had been built as if bj' enchantment. 

" ' It seems strange how a people living under no form 
of government that we could ever perceive, having no 
chiefs over them who appear to possess any authority, 
having neither rewards to stimulate them to exertion nor 
dread of punishment before them, should be capable of 
conceiving and executing, with the rapidity of lightning, 
works which astonished us ; they appear to act with one 
mind, to have the same thought, and to be operated on 
by the same impulse ; they can be compared only to the 
beaver, whose instinct teaches them to design and execute 
works which claim our admiration. 

" ' Some time after this I sent a messenger to the 
Typees to know if they wished to be at peace with us. 
In two days he returned, and was desired by the Typees 



194 THE TYPEES. 

to tell Gattanewa and all the people of the valley of 
Tieuhoy that they were cowards ; that we had beat the 
Happahs because the Happahs were cowards ; that as to 
myself and my people, we were white lizards, mere dirt. 
We were, said they, incapable of standing fatigue, over- 
come by the slightest heat and want of water, and could 
not climb the mountains without islanders to assist us 
and carry our arms ; and yet we talk of chastising the 
Typees, a tribe which had never been driven by an 
enemy, and as their gods informed them, were never to 
be driven. 

" ' I now inquired of Gattanewa the number of war 
canoes which he could equip and man ; he informed me 
ten, and that each would carry about thirty men, and 
that the Happahs could equip an equal number of equal 
size ; he told me it would be six days before they could 
be put together and got into readiness ; but if I wished 
it his people should set about it immediately. I directed 
them to do so, and dispatched a messenger to the Hap- 
pahs directing them to prepare their war canoes to be in 
readiness to go to war with the Typees, and await my 
further orders. I gave them as well as the Tayehs to 
understand that it was my intention to attack them both 
by sea and by land, and that I should send a large body 
of men in boats and a ship to protect the landing of 
them and the war canoes, and that the remainder of the 
warriors of both tribes must proceed by land to attack 
them in the part where they were most assailable. I 
now conceived the design of constructing a fort, not only 
as a protection to our village and the harbor, but as a 
security to the Tayehs against further incursions, I had 
for some time past intended leaving my prizes here as 
the most suitable place to lay them up, and this fort 
would give them additional security. 

" ' Assisted by the natives I began the construction of 



THE TYPEES. ' 195 

a fort whicli was completed on the 14th ; all worked with 
zeal, and as the friendly tribes were daily coming in with 
presents, all joined in the labor. The chiefs requested 
that they might be admitted on the same footing as the 
Tayehs, and everything promised harmony between us ; 
.they would frequently speak of the war with the Typees, 
and I informed them I only waited for their war canoes 
to be put together and launched. 

" ' On the 19th of November, the American flag was 
displayed in our fort, a salute of seventeen guns was 
fired from the artillery mounted there, and returned by 
th^ shipping in the harbor. The island was taken pos- 
session of for the United States, and called Madison's 
Island ; the fort. Fort Madison ; the village, Madison- 
ville, and the bay, Massachusetts Bay. 

" ' A few days after this I took a party of sailors and 
marines in boats and went some eight miles from our 
anchorage to examine a fine bay. We landed near a 
village at the mouth of a beautiful rivulet. On landing, 
many of the natives came to the beach, who seemed 
disposed to treat us in the most friendly manner ; but 
apprehensive of being troubled by their numbers, I drew 
a line in the sand at some distance about the boats, and 
informed them they were tabooed, and as an additional 
security to us, I caused all the arms to be loaded and 
ready for service on the first alarm, and sentinels placed 
over them. Shortly after this the chief came down to 
invite me to the public square, the general place in all 
their villages for the reception of strangers. Soon after 
our arrival the women and girls assembled from all 
quarters of the town, dressed out in all their finery to 
meet us ; they were here free from all the restraints 
imposed by the tabooes, and were abundantly anointed 
with the oil of the cocoanut, and their skins well be- 
daubed with red and yellow paint, as was their clothing ; 



196 THE TYPEES. 

some were also smeared with greenish paint, the object 
of which I found, on inquiry, was to preserve the fairness 
and beauty of the skin ; and indeed of this they seemed 
to take particular pains, every one of them being fur- 
nished with a kind of umbrella, formed of a bunch of 
palm leaves, to shield them from the effects of the sun ; 
their care and attention in this particular had rendered 
them far superior in point of beauty to the females of 
our valley, and the difference was so striking as to make 
them appear a distinct people. Some of the girls, proba- 
bly in compliment to us, or to render themselves more 
attractive in our eyes, cleansed themselves (by washing 
in the stream) of their oil and paint, threw aside their 
bedaubed clothing, and soon appeared neatly clad in cloth 
of the purest white ; and I can say, without exaggeration, 
that I never have seen women more perfectly beautiful in 
form, features, and complexion, or that had playful inno- 
cence more strongly marked on their countenances or 
in their manners ; all seemed perfectly easy and even 
graceful, and all strove 1)y their winning attentions, who 
should render themselves most pleasing to us. The girls 
formed a circle round us, and those of a more advanced 
age were seated outside of them ; the men showed us 
every kind attention, and strove to convince us of their 
friendship by bringing us cocoanuts, and cooking for us 
hogs and bread-fruit after their manner, which were 
found excellent. 

" ' A daughter of Gattanewa was among them ; she 
was the wife of the chief who had met us on our arrival ; 
she seemed no less friendly disposed than her husband, 
and embraced me as her father, reminding me frequently 
that from the exchange of names I had become such ; 
from her filial affection she bestowed on me a bountiful 
supply of the red and yellow paint with which she was 
covered, and insisted on my sending away my boats and 



THE TYPEES. 197 

people and remaining with them until the next day, and 
no excuse that I could offer for my return to the ship 
would satisfy her ; they all joined in her solicita'l.ions, 
end, as an inducement for me to remain, promised me 
the choicest mats to sleep on, and the handsomest girls 
in the village to sing me to sleep. After our repast all 
the womeil joined in a song, which was accompanied by 
the clapping of hands ; it lasted near half an hour, and 
was not unmusical. I inquired the subject of it, and was 
informed by Wilson that it was the history of the love of 
a young man and a young woman of their valle3^ They 
sang their mutual attachment, and the praises of their 
beauty ; described with raptures the handsome beads and 
whale's teeth earrings with which she was bedecked, and 
the large whale's tooth which hung from his neck. They 
afterwards joined in a short song which they appeared to 
compose as they sung, in which I could plainly distin- 
guish the words Opotee, tie-ties^ peepees, etc. (Porter, 
presents, beads, etc.), after which they strove in various 
ways who should most amuse us, the men in dancing, 
the girls in playing scratch cradle (an amusement well 
known in America), at which they are more dextrous 
than any others I ever met with. 

" ' Our time passed rapidly with these kind people, and 
the evening approached before we were aware of it. It 
became necessary to hasten to the ship, and we bade 
them farewell, with a promise that we should shortly 
return and bring with us a large supply of peepees and 
other tie-ties, so much desired by them. 

" ' On the 27th of November I informed the Tayehs 
and Happahs that I should next day go to war with the 
Typees, agreeable to my original plan. The JEssex Junior 
sailed in the afternoon, and I proceeded next morning, at 
three o'clock, with five boats, accompanied by ten war 
canoes, blowing their conches as a signal by which they 
9 



198 THE TYPEES. 

could keep together. We arrived at the Typee landing 
at sunrise, and were joined by ten war canoes from the 
Happahs ; the Essex Junior soon after arrived and 
anchored. The tops of all the neighboring mountains 
were covered with the Tayeh and Happah warriors, 
armed with their spears, clubs, and slings ; the beach 
was covered with the warriors who came with the canoes, 
and who joined us from the hills ; our force did not 
amount to a less number than five thousand men. I had 
brought with me one of those whom I had intended to 
employ as ambassadors ; he had intermarried with the 
Typees and was privileged to go among them; I fur- 
nished him with a white flag and sent him to inform the 
Typees that I had come to offer them peace, but was 
prepared for war ; that I only required that they should 
submit to the same terms as those entered into by the 
other tribes, and that terms of friendship would be much 
more pleasing to me than any satisfaction I expected to 
derive from chastising them. In a few minutes after 
the departure of my messenger he came running back, 
the picture of terror, and informed me he had met in the 
bushes an ambuscade of Typees, who, regardless of his 
flag of truce, which he displayed to them, had driven him 
back with blows, and had threatened to put him to death 
if he again ventured among them ; and in an instant 
afterward we had a confirmation of his statement in 
a shower of stones which came from the bushes. To 
remain still would have proved fatal to us ; to have 
retreated would have convinced them of our fears and 
our incapacity to injure them ; our only safet}' was in 
advancing and endeavoring to clear the thicket, which I 
had been informed was of no great extent. 

" ' We advanced a mile or more when we came to a 
small opening on the bank of a river, from the thicket 
on the opposite side of which we vfere assailed with a 



THE TYPEES. 199 

shower of stones, when Lieutenant Downes received a 
blow which shattered the bone of his left leg, and he fell. 
We had left parties in ambush in our rear, which we 
had not been able to dislodge, and to trust him to the 
natives alone to take back was hazarding too much. 
The natives began to leave us ; all depended on our own 
exertions, and no time was to be lost in deliberation. I 
therefore directed Mr. Shaw with four men to escort 
Lieutenant Downes to the beach ; this with the party I 
had left for the protection of the boats reduced my num- 
ber to twenty-four men. As we continued our march 
the number of our allies became reduced, and even the 
brave Mouina, the first to expose himself, began to hang 
back ; while he kept in advance he had, by the quickness 
of his sight, which was astonishing, put us on our guard 
as the stones and spears came, and enabled us to elude 
theni, but now they came too thick even for him to 
withstand. 

" ' We soon came to the place for fording the river ; in 
the thick bushes of the opposite banks of which the 
Typees, who were here very numerous, made a bold 
stand, and showered on us their spears and other mis- 
siles. We endeavored in vain to clear the bushes of the 
opposite banks with our musketry. The stones and 
spears flew with augmented numbers. Finding that we 
could not dislodge them, I directed a volley to be fired, 
three cheers to be given, and to dash across the river. 
We soon gained the opposite bank and continued our 
march, rendered still more difficult by the underwood, 
which was here interlaced to that degree as to make it 
necessary sometimes to crawl on our hands and knees to 
get along. We were harassed as usual by the Typees for 
about a quarter of a mile through a thicket which, at 
almost any other time, I should have considered impass- 
able. On emerging from the swamp we felt new life and 



200 THE TYPEES. 

spirits ; but this joy was of short duration, for on casting 
up our eyes, we perceived a strong and extensive wall 
of seven feet in height, raised on an eminence crossing 
our road, and flanked on each side by an impenetrable 
thicket, and in an instant afterwards were assailed by a 
shower of stones, accompanied by the most horrid yells. 
" ' Finding we could not dislodge them, I gave orders 
for pushing on and endeavoring to take it by storm ; but 
some of my men had by this time expended all their 
cartridges, and there were few who had more than three 
or four remaining. This discouraging news threw a 
damp on the spirits of the whole party ; without ammu- 
nition our muskets were rendered inferior to the weapons 
of the Typees, and if we could not advance, there could 
be no doubt we should be under the necessity of fighting 
our way back ; and to attempt this with our few remain- 
ing cartridges, would be hazarding too much. Our only 
safety now depended on holding our ground until we 
could procure a fresh supply of ammunition, and in 
reserving the few charges on hand until it could be 
brought to us. I mentioned my intention to my people, 
exhorted them to save their ammunition as much as 
possible, and dispatched Lieutenant Gamble with a 
detachment of four men to the beach, there to take 
a boat and proceed to the Essex Junior for a fresh 
supply. My number was now reduced to nineteen men ; 
there was no officer but myself; the natives had all 
deserted me except Mouina; and to add to our critical 
and dangerous situation, three of the men remaining 
with me were knocked down with stones. Mouina 
begged me to retreat, crying Mattee ! maftee ! The 
wounded entreated me to permit the others to carry 
them to the beach, but I had none to spare to accompany 
them. I saw no hopes of succeeding against the natives, 
so long as they kept their stronghold ; and determined 



THE TYPEES. 201 

to endeavor to draw them out by a feint retreat, and by 
this means to gain some advantage.* For to return 
without gaining some advantage would, I believed, have 
rendered an attack from the Happahs certain. I com- 
municated my intentions ; directed the wounded to be 
taken care of ; gave orders for all to run until we were 
concealed by the bushes, and then halt. We retreated 
for a few paces, and in an instant the Typees rushed on 
us with hideous yells. The first and second \^hich 
advanced were killed at the distance of a few paces, and 
those who attempted to carry them off were wounded. 
This checked them, they abandoned their dead and pre- 
cipitately retreated to their fort. Not a moment was 
now to be lost in gaining the opposite side of the river. 
Taking advantage of the terror they were thrown into, 
we marched off with our wounded. Scarcely had we 
crossed the river before we were attacked with stones ; 
but here they halted, and we returned to the beach 
much fatigued and harassed with marching and fighting, 
and with no contemptible opinion of the enemy we had 
encountered or the difficulties we should have to sur- 
mount in conquering them. 

" ' On my arrival I found the boat which had been 
missing, together with a reenforcement of men from the 
Essex Junior, and a supply of ammunition. I was de- 
sirous of sounding the Typees before I proceeded to 
further extremities, as also to impress our allies with the 
idea that we could carry all before us. They told my 
messenger to tell me that they had killed my chief 
warrior — for such they supposed Mr. Downes to be — 
that they had wounded several of my people, and com- 
pelled us to retreat. They knew their strength and the 
numbers they could oppose ; and held our bouhies in 
more contempt than ever, they frequently missed fire, 
rarely killed, and the wounds they occasioned were not 



202 THE TYPEES. 

as painful as those of a spear or stone ; and, they added, 
they knew they would prove perfectly useless to us should 
it come on to rain. They dared us to renew the contest, 
and assured us they would not retreat beyond where "we 
had left them. 

" ' Overcome with fatigue and discouraged by the for- 
midable appearance of their fortress, my men also fa- 
tigued and disheartened from the number of the wounded, 
I determined to leave them for the present, but meditated 
a severe punishment for them. The Happahs had now 
descended the hills with their arms ; the Shouemes ap- 
peared on the other side, and " the Typees have driven 
the white men," was the constant topic of conversation. 
We were still but a handful and were surrounded by 
several thousand natives ; and although they professed 
friendship, I did not feel safe. I therefore directed every- 
body to embark, and proceed to the Essex Junior, anxious 
to know the state of Lieutenant Downes. 

" ' The next day I determined to proceed with a force 
which I believed they could not resist, and selected two 
hundred men from the Essex, the Essex Junior, and from 
the prizes.' " 

" That 's what he ought to have done in the first place," 
commented Eugene. 

" I agree with you," said the Captain ; " but those Ty- 
pees were brave fellows." 

" You are right," assented Eugene ; " but I hope the 
Commodore did n't make another mess of it. Go on, 
Chester," and his brother continued : 

" ' In the evening I caused the party to be sent on 
shore and determined to go by land. We had a fine 
moonlight night, and I hoped to be down in the Typee 
valley long before daylight, and to take them by surprise. 
I directed the party sent in advance to halt as soon as 
they had gained the top of the mountain until I came 



THE TYPEES. 203 

up with the main body. There I intended encamping 
for the night, should our men not be able to stand the 
fatigue of a longer march. Several gave out before we 
reached the summit, which we did in about three hours, 
with great difficulty ; but after resting a short time, and 
finding ourselves refreshed, the moon shhiing out bright- 
ly, and our guides informing us (though very incorrectly) 
that we were not more than six miles from the enemy, 
we again marched. Several natives had joined us, but I 
had imposed silence on them, as we were under the 
necessity of passing a Happah village, and I was fearful 
of their discovering us, and giving intelligence to the 
Typees. Not a whisper was heard from one end of the 
line to the other ; our guides marched in front, and we 
followed in silence up and down the steep sides of 
rocks and mountains, through rivulets, thickets, and reed- 
brakes, and by the sides of precipices which sometimes 
caused us to shudder. At twelve o'clock we could hear 
the drums beating in the Typee valley accompanied by 
loud singing, and the number of lights in different parts 
of it induced me to believe they were rejoicing. I in- 
quired the cause, and was informed by the natives that 
they were celebrating the victory they had obtained over 
us, and calling on their gods to give them rain in order 
that it might render our bouliies useless. We soon 
arrived at the pathway leading from the top of the 
mountain into the valley ; but the natives told us that it 
would be impossible to descend it without daylight ; that 
the mountain was almost perpendicular, and that in many 
places we should be under the .necessity of lowering our- 
selves down with great caution, and that it would be even 
necessary for them to assist us in the day-time to enable 
us to get down with safety. I concluded that it would 
be most advisable to wait for daylight before we attempted 
to descend. We were in j)ossession of the pathway to 



204 THE TYPEES. 

the valley, and could prevent the Happahs from giving 
them any intelligence of us ; we were on a narrow ridge, 
running between the valleys of the two tribes, and well 
situated to guard against surprise and to defend ourselves 
from an attack from either ; and what added to the con- 
venience of our situation, we had a stream of water not 
far distant. 

" ' After placing guards we laid down on our arms. I 
had fallen into a doze, when a native came to inform me 
that it was coming on to rain very hard, and as he ex- 
pressed himself, would mattee ! mattee ! bouhie. This 
appearance of rain caused loud shouts of joy in the Ty- 
pee valley, and drums were beating in every quarter. I 
cautioned my men about taking care of their arms and 
ammunition ; but from the violence of the rain, which 
soon poured down in torrents, I had little hopes that a 
musket would be kept dry or a cartridge saved. Never 
in the course of my life, did I spend a more anxious or 
disagreeable night, and I believe there were few with 
me who had ever seen its equal. A cold and piercing 
wind accompanied the deluge, for 1 can call it nothing 
else, and chilled us to the very heart ; without room to 
keep ourselves warm by moving about, fearful of stirring, 
lest we might be precipitated into eternity down the steep 
sides of the mountains, for the ridge had now become 
so slippery we could scarcely keep our feet, — we all anx- 
iously looked for morning, aiid the first daAvn of day, 
although the wind and rain still continued, was a cheer- 
ing sight to us, notwithstanding our apprehensions for 
the fate of the ammunition and the condition of our 
muskets. We were all as perfectly wet as though we 
had been under water the whole time, and we scarcely 
entertained a hope that a single cartridge or musket had 
escaped. The natives kept exclaiming that our muskets 
■were spoiled, and anxiously wished us to retreat in time ; 



THE TYPEES. 205 

but notwithstanding my fears on the subject, I endeavored 
to impress them with a belief that water could do them 
no injury. As soon as it was light enough I went among 
my men and inquired into the state of their arms and 
ammunition. The first had escaped better than I had 
any reason to hope ; but of the latter more than one-half 
was wet and unfit for service.' " 

" There, Chester," exclaimed his brother, abruptly, 
" pass the book to me ; it's high time for you to take a 
rest." 

" I am quite willing to do so," replied the other, as he 
surrendered the volume, and Eugene, having found the 
place, prepared to read. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE AVAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

THE Happah village,' began Eugene, ' lay on one 
side of the mountain, as I before observed, the 
Typee on the other, and when it was light enough to see 
down into the valley of the latter we were astonished at 
the greatness of the height we were elevated above them, 
and the steepness of the mountain by which we should 
have to descend to get to them. A narrow pathway 
pointed out the track, but it was soon lost among the 
cliffs. The natives informed me that in the present 
slippery state of the mountain no one could descend, and 
as our men were much harassed with fatigue, overcome 
with hunger, shivering and uncomfortable, I determined 
to take up my quarters in the Happah village until next 
day to enabfe us to refresh, and I hoped by that time the 
weather would prove more favorable. The chief soon 
arrived, and I communicated to him my intentions, direct- 
ing him to send down and have houses provided for us, 
as also hogs and fruit, all of which he promised should 
be done. Before I left the hill I determined, by firing a 
volley, to show the natives that our muskets had not 
received as much injury as they had expected, as I be- 
lieved, under their impressions at that moment, the Hap- 
pahs would not have hesitated in making an attack on 
us, and to avoid any difficulties with them I thought it 
best to con-vnlnce them we were still formidable. I had 
other motives also for firing. The Tayehs and Happahs, I 
knew, would accompany us into the Typee valley ; and 

(206) 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 207 

as I had put off our descent until the next day, I con- 
chided that it would be- best to give them timely notice 
of our approach, that they might be enabled to remove 
their women and children, their hogs, and most valuable 
effects; for although I felt desirous of chastising them 
for their conduct, I wished to prevent the innocent from 
suffering, or the pillage and destruction of their prop- 
erty by the natives who accompanied us. I accordingly 
directed my men to assemble on the ridge and to fire a 
volley ; the Typees had not until then seen us, nor had 
they the least suspicion of our being there. As soon as 
they heard the report of our muskets, and discovered our 
numbers, which, with the multitude of natives of both 
tribes who had now assembled, was very great, they 
shouted, beat their drums, and blew their war conches 
from one end of the valley to the other ; and what with 
the squeeling of the hogs — which they now began to 
catch, — the screaming of the women and children, and 
the yelling of the men, the din was horrible. 

"'After firing our volley, which went off better than 
I expected, we descended, with great difficulty, into the 
village of the Happahs, and were shown into the public 
square. Around this place were several vacant houses 
which had, to all appearance, been vacated on our account. 
In these I quartered my officers and men, assigning to 
each ship's crew their abode. The Happahs assembled 
about us, armed with their clubs and spears; and the 
women, who had at first crowded round us, now began to 
abandon us. Everything bore the appearance of a hostile 
disposition on the part of the Happahs; our friends, the 
Tayehs, cautioned us to be on our guard. I directed 
everyone to keep their arms in their hands, ready to as- 
semble at a moment's warning, I now sent for their 
chief and requested to know if they were hostilely dis- 
posed.^ I told him it was necessary we should have some- 



208 THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

thing to eat, and that I expected his people to bring us 
hogs and fruit, and if they did not do so I should be un- 
der the necessity of sending out parties t(j shoot the former 
and to cut down their fruit trees, as oux* people were too 
much fatigued to climb them. I also directed that they 
should lay by their spears and cluljs. No notice being 
taken of these demands, I caused many of their spears 
and clubs to be taken from them and broken, and sent 
parties out to shoot hogs, while others were employed in 
cutting down cocoanut and banana trees, until we had a 
sufficient supply. 

" ' The chiefs and the people of the Happah tribe now 
became intimidated and brought the baked hogs in greater 
abundance than were required ; friendship was re-estab- 
lished, and the women returned. When night approached, 
proper lookouts were placed, and fires made before each 
house. Those of the tribe of Tayeh remained with us, 
the Happahs retired. All not on guard devoted them- 
selves to sleep, and at daylight next morning we equally 
divided our ammunition, and the line of march was 
formed. All had put their arms in a good state for ser- 
vice, and all were fresh and vigorous ; each being sup- 
plied with a small quantity of provisions for the day. 

" ' On ascending the ridge, where we had passed such a 
disagreeable night, we halted to take breath, and view, for 
a few minutes, this delightful valley, which was soon to 
become a scene of desolation. From the hill we had a 
distant view of every part, and all appeared equally de- 
lightful. The valley was about nine miles in length, and 
three or four in breadth, surrounded on every part, except 
the beach where we formerly landed, by lofty mountains ; 
the upper part was bounded by a precipice of many hun- 
dred feet in height, from the top of which a handsome 
sheet of water was precipitated, and formed a beautiful 
river, which ran meandering through the valley and dis- 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 209 

charged itself at the beach. Villages were scattered here 
and there ; the bread-fruit and cocoanut trees flourished 
luxuriantly and in abundance ; plantations laid out in 
good order, inclosed with stone walls, were in a high state 
of cultivation, and everything bespoke industry, abund- 
ance, and happiness — never in my life did I witness a 
more delightful scene, or experience more repugnance 
than I now felt for the necessity which compelled me to 
punish a happy and heroic people. 

" ' A large assemblage of Typee warriors were posted 
on the opposite banks of the river (which glided near the 
foot of the mountain) and dared us to descend. In their 
rear was a fortified village, secured by strong stone walls ; 
drums were beating and war conches were sounding in 
several parts, and we soon found they were disposed to 
make every effort to oppose us. I gave orders to descend ; 
Mouina offered himself as our guide, and I directed him 
to lead us to their principal village ; but finding the 
fatigue of going down the mountain greater than I ex- 
pected, I gave orders to halt before crossing the river, to 
give time for the rear to close, it having become much 
scattered, and that all might rest. As soon as we reached 
the foot of the mountain we were annoyed by a shower of 
stones irom the bushes, and from behind the stone walls ; 
but as we were also enabled to shelter ourselves behind 
others, and being short of ammunition, I would not per- 
mit any person to fire. After resting a few minutes, I 
directed the scouting parties to gain the opposite bank of 
the river, and quickly followed with the main body. 

" ' We were greatly annoyed by stones ; but before all 
had crossed, the fortified village was taken without any 
loss on our side. Their chief warrior and another were 
killed, and several were wounded. They retreated only 
to stone walls situated on higher grounds, where they 
continued to sling their stones and throw their spears. 



210 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 



Three of my men were wounded, and many of the Typees 
killed l)efoi'e we dislodged them ; parties Avere sent out 
in different directions to scour the woods, and another 




fort was taken after some resistance ; but the party, 
overpowered by numbers, was compelled to retreat to 
the main body after keeping possession of it for half an 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEBS. 211 

hour. We were waiting in the fort first taken for the 
return of our scouting parties ^= — a multitude of Tayehs 
and Happahs were with us, and many were on the out- 
skirts of the village seeking for plunder : Lieutenant 
M'Knight had driven a party from a strong wall on the 
high ground, and had possession of it, — when a large 
party of Typees, which had been lying in ambush, rushed 
by his fire, and darted into the fort with their spears. 
The Tayehs and Happahs all ran, the Typees approached 
within pistol shot, but on the first fire retreated pre- 
cipitately, crossing the fire of M'Knight's party, and 
although none fell, we had reason to believe that many 
were wounded. The spears and stones were flying from 
the bushes in every direction, and although we killed and 
wounded in this place great numbers of them, we were 
satisfied, from the opposition made, that we should have 
to fight our whole way through the valley. 

" ' It became now necessary to guard against a useless 
consumption of ammunition. The scouting parties had 
returned, and some had expended all their cartridges ; I 
exhorted them to be more careful of them, and after 
having given them a fresh supply, forbid any firing from 
the main body, unless we should be attacked by great 
numbers. I now left a party in this place, posted in a 
house with the wounded, and another party in ambush 
behind a wall, and directed Mouina to lead us to the 
next village ; but before marching I sent a messenger to 
inform the Typees that we should cease hostilities when 
they no longer made resistance, but so long as stones 
were thrown I should destroy their villages. No notice 
was taken of this message. We continued our march up 
the valley, and met in our way several beautiful villages, 
which were set on fire, and at length arrived at their 
capital, for it deserves the name of one. We had been 
compelled to fight every inch of ground as we advanced, 



212 THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

and here they made consideraljle opposition; the place 
was, however, soon carried, and I very reluctantly set 
fire to it. 

" ' The beauty and regularity of this place was such as 
to strike every spectator with astonishment, and their 
grand site, or public square, was far superior to any 
other we had met with ; numbers of their gods were here 
destroyed, several large and elegant new war canoes, 
which had never been used, were burned in the houses 
that sheltered them ; many of their drums, which they 
had been compelled to abandon, were thrown into the 
flames, and our natives loaded themselves with plunder, 
after destroying bread-fruit and other trees, and all the 
young plants they could find. We had now arrived at 
the upper end of the valley, about nine miles from the • 
beach, and at the foot of the waterfall before mentioned ; 
the day was advancing ; we had yet much to do, and it 
was necessary to hasten our return to the fort first 
taken, where we arrived after being about four hours 
absent, leaving behind us a scene of ruin and desolation. 
I had hoped that the Typees had now abandoned all 
further thoughts of resistance ; but on my return to the 
fort I found the parties left there had been annoyed 
the whole time of my absence ; but being sheltered from 
the stones, and short of ammunition, they had not fired 
on the enemy. 

" ' The fort was situated exactly half-way up the valley ; 
to reclimb the mountain and return by the way we came 
would have been impossible ; it became therefore neces- 
sary to go to the beach, where I was informed that the 
difficulty of ascending the mountains would not be so 
great ; many were exhausted with fatigue, and began to 
feel the cravings of hunger, and I directed a halt, that 
all might rest and refresh themselves. After resting 
about half an hour, I directed the natives to take care of 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 213 

our wounded. We then formed the line of march and 
proceeded down the valley, and in our route destroyed 
several other villages, at all of which we had some 
skirmishing with the enemy. At one of these places, 
situated at the foot of a steep hill, they rolled enormous 
stones down, with a view of crushing us to death, but 
they did us no injury. The number of villages destroyed 
amounted to ten, and the destruction of trees and plants 
and the plunder carried off by the natives is almost 
incredible. The Typees fought us to the last, and even 
at first harassed our rear on our return ; but parties left 
in ambush soon put a stop to any further annoyance. 
We at length came to the formidable fort which checked 
our career on our first day's enterprise, and although I 
had witnessed many instances of the great exertion and 
ingenuity of these islanders, I never had supposed them 
capable of contriving and erecting a work like this, so 
well calculated for strength and defense. 

" ' There are but three entrances into this valley, one 
on the west, which we descended, one on the east, and 
one from the beach. No force whatever had before 
dared to attack them on the west, on account of the 
impossibility of retreating, in case of a repulse, which 
they calculated on as certain. The passage on the east 
led from the valley of their friends, and that from the 
beach was guarded by fortresses deemed impregnable, 
and justly so against any force which could be brought 
against them unassisted by artillery. On viewing the 
strength of this place I could not help felicitating myself 
on the lucky circumstance which had induced me to 
attack them by land, for I believe we should have failed 
in any attempt on this place. 

" ' On my arrival at the beach I met Tavee and many 
of his, the Shoueme tribe, together with the chiefs of the 
Happahs. Tavee was the bearer of a white flag, and 



214 THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

several of the same emblems of peace were flying on the 
different hills around his valley ; he was desirous of 
knowing whether I intended going to their valley, and 
wished to be informed when he should again bring 
presents, and what articles he should bring ; he inquired 
if I would still be his friend, and reminded me that I was 
Temaa Typee, the chief of the valley of Shoueme, and 
that he was Tavee. I gave him assurance of my friend- 
ship, requested him to return and allay the fears of the 
women, who, he informed me, were in the utmost terror, 
apprehensive of an attack from me. The chiefs of the 
Happahs invited me to return to their valley, assuring 
me that an abundance of everything was already pro- 
vided for us ; and the girls, who had assembled in great 
numbers, dressed out in their best attire, welcomed our 
return with smiles, and notwithstanding our wet and 
dirty condition — for it had been raining the greater part 
of the day — ^ convinced us by their looks and gestures 
that they were disposed to give us the most friendly 
reception. 

" ' Gattanewa met me on the side of the hill as I was 
ascending. The old man's heart was full, he could not 
speak ; he placed both my hands on his head, rested his 
forehead on my knees, and after a short pause, raising 
himself, placed his hands on my breast, exclaiming, 'Gat- 
tanewa ! and then on his own, saying, Opotee ! to remind 
me that we had exchanged names. 

" ' When I had reached the summit of the mountain, I 
stopped to contemplate that valley which, in the morning, 
we had viewed in all its beauty, the scene of abundance 
and happiness — a long line of smoking ruins now marked 
our track from one end to the other ; the opposite hills 
were covered with the unhappy fugitives, and the whole 
presented a scene of desolation and horror. Unhappy 
and heroic people ! the victims of your own courage and 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 215 

mistaken pride, while the instruments of yom- fate shed 
the tears of pity over your misfortunes, thousands of 
your countrymen — nay, brethren of the same family — 
triumph in your distresses ! 

" ' I shall not fatigue myself or the reader by a longer 
account of this expedition. We spent the night with the 
Happahs, who supplied us most abundantly, and next 
morning, at daylight, started for Madison ville, where we 
arrh^ed about eight o'clock, after an absence of three 
nights and two days, during which time we marched 
upward of sixty miles, by paths which had never before 
been trodden but by the natives. Several of my strongest 
men were for a long time laid up by sickness, occasioned 
by their excessive fatigue, and one — Corporal Mahan of 
the marines — died two days after our return. 

" ' The day of our return was devoted to rest ; a mes- 
senger was, however, dispatched to the Typees to inform 
them I was still willing to make peace, and that I should 
not allow them to return to their valley until they had 
come to terms of friendship with us. The messenger, on 
his return, informed me that the Typees, on his arrival, 
were in the utmost consternation, but that my message 
had diffused the most lively joy among them. There 
was nothing they desired more than peace, and they 
would be willing to purchase my friendship on any 
terms. He informed me that a flag of truce would be 
sent in next day to know my conditions. 

" ' On the arrival of the Typee flag, which was borne 
by a chief accompanied by a priest, I informed them that 
I still insisted on a compliance with the conditions for- 
merly offered them, to wit, an exchange of presents and 
peace : with myself and the tribes who had allied them- 
selves to me. They readily consented to these terms, 
and requested to know the number of hogs I should 
require, stating that they had lost but few, and should be 



216 THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

enabled to supply us abundantly. I told them I should 
expect from them four hundred, which they assured me 
should be delivered without delay. Flags were now sent 
to me again from all the tribes on the island, even the 
most remote and inconsiderable, with large presents of 
hogs and fruit, and we had never at any time since we 
had been on the island experienced such abundance. 

" ' Peace now being established throughout the island, 
and the utmost harmony reigning, not only between us 
and the natives, but between the different tribes, they 
mixed with one another about our village in the most 
friendly manner, and the different chiefs with the priests 
came daily to visit me. They were all much delighted 
that a general peace had been brought about, that they 
might now all visit the different parts of the island in 
safety, and many of the oldest men assured me that they 
had never before been out of the valley in which they 
were born. They repeatedly expressed their astonish- 
ment and admiration that I should have been enabled to 
effect so much in so short a time, and that I should have 
been able to extend my influence so far as to give them 
such complete protection, not only in the valley of Tieu- 
hoy, but among the tribes with which they had been at 
war from the earliest periods, and had heretofore been 
considered their natural enemies. I informed them that 
I should shortly leave them, and should return at the 
expiration of a year. I exhorted them "to remain at 
peace with one another, and assured them that if they 
should be at war on my return, I should punish the tribe 
most in fault. They all gave me the strongest assur- 
ances of a disposition to remain on good terms, not only 
with me and my people, but with one another. 

"' I now was enabled to make little excursions occa- 
sionally into different parts of the valley, and visit the 
natives at their homes, which was what I had not been 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 217 

enabled to do heretofore, as my various occupations had 
kept me much confined to our village. On these occa- 
sions I always met the most hospitable and friendly 
reception from the natives of both sexes. Cocoanuts 
and whatever else they had were offered me, and I rarely 
returned home without several little tie-ties as a token 
of their regard. I generally took with me seeds of dif- 
ferent kinds, with which I was provided, such as melons, 
pumpkins, peas, beans, oranges, limes, etc., together with 
peach-stones, wheat, and Indian corn, which were planted 
within the inclosures, in the most suitable places for 
them, the natives always assisting in pulling up the 
weeds and clearing the ground for planting them. The 
nature of the different kinds of vegetables and fruit that 
each kind of grain would produce was explained to them, 
and they all promised to take the utmost care of them 
and prevent the hogs from doing them any injury. I 
directed them not to pull any of the fruit until they had 
consulted Wilson to know if they were ripe. Among all 
the seeds that were sown there was none which gave 
them so much pleasure as the wheat, which they called 
maie, which is the name they give the bread-fruit ; they 
would not believe, however, at first that it was from this 
grain we made our bread (which they also called mai^, 
but sometimes potato) until I had ground some of the 
grain between two stones, and showed them the flour, 
which produced from them the most joyous exclamations 
of mai^ ! mai^ ! mai^ ! and all began to clear away spots 
for sowing the grain, and bringing me leaves and cocoa- 
nut shells, begging that I would give them some to take 
home to plant. 

^' ' I endeavored to impress them with an idea of the 
value of the seeds I was planting, and explained to them 
the different kinds of fruit they would produce, assuring 
them of their excellence, and as a farther inducement to 



218 THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

them to attend their cultivation, I promised them that, 
on my return, I would give them a whale's tooth for 
every ripe pumpkin and melon they would bring me ; and 
to the chiefs of the distant tribes, to whom I distributed 
the different kinds of seeds, I made the same promise. 
I also gave them several English hogs' of a superior 
breed, which they were very anxious to procure. I left 
in charge of Wilson some male and female goats, and 
as I had a number of young Galdpagos tortoises, I dis- 
tributed several among the chiefs, and permitted a great 
many to escape into the bushes and among the grass. 

" ' In one of these excursions, I was led to the chief 
place of religious ceremony of the valley. It is situated 
high up the -valley of the Havvous, in a fine grove, and I 
regret extremely that I had it not in my power to make 
a correct drawing of it on the spot, as it far exceeds in 
splendor everything of the kind described by Captain 
Cook, or represented in the plates which accompany his 
voyage. 

" ' Sometime previous to this I had been tabooed at my 
request by Gattanewa; this gave me the privilege of vis- 
iting and examining all their places of religious worship, 
and I now took advantage of my right in going into the 
grove among the gods, accompanied by the attendants on 
the place. Wilson could not accompany me there, and I 
was not enabled to make enquiry on many subjects ; but 
observing that they treated all their gods with little 
respect, frequently catching them by their large ears, 
drawing my attention to their mouths, their flat noses, 
and large eyes, and pointing out to me, by signs, all their 
other deformities, I told Wilson to inform them I thought 
they treated their gods very disrespectfully. They told 
me that those were like themselves, mere attendants on 
their divinity, as they were on the priest ; that I had not 
yet seen their greatest of all gods, that he was in a small 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 219 

house, which they pointed out, situated at the corner of 
the grove; and on my expressing a desire to see him, 
after a short consultation among themselves, they brought 
him out on the branch of a cocoanut tree, when I was 
surprised to find him only a parcel of paper cloth secured 
to a piece of a spear about four feet long ; it in some 
measure resembled a child in swaddling clothes, and the 
part intended to represent the head had a number of 
stripes of cloth hanging from it about a foot in length. 
I could not help laughing at the ridiculous appearance 
of the god they worshiped, in which they all joined me 
with a great deal of good humor, some of them dan- 
dling and nursing the god as a child would her doll. 

" ' I endeavored to ascertain whether they liad an idea 
of a future state, rewards, and punishments, and the 
nature of their heaven. As regards the latter, they be- 
lieved it to be an island, somewhere in the sky, abounding 
with everything desirable ; that those killed in war and 
carried off by their friends go there, provided they are 
furnished with a canoe and provisions, but that those 
who are carried off by the enemy never rea'ch it unless 
a sufficient number of the enemy can be obtained to 
paddle his canoe there, and for this reason they were so 
anxious to procure a crew for their priest, who was killed 
and carried off by the Happahs. They have neither 
rewards nor punishments in this world, and I could not 
learn that they expected any in the next. Their religion, 
however, is like a plaything, an amusement to them, and 
I very much doubt whether they, at any moment, gave 
it a serious thought ; their priests and jugglers manage 
those matters for them ; what they tell them they believe, 
and do not put themselves to the trouble of considering 
whether it is right or wrong. They are very credulous, 
and will as readily believe in one religion as another. 
I have explained to them the nature of the Christian 



220 THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

religion, in a manner to suit tlieir ideas ; tliej listened 
with much attention, appeared pleased with the novelty 
of it, and agreed that our God must be greater than 
theirs. Our Chaplain, Mr. Adams, endeavored to collect 
from one of their priests some notions of his religion, 
and among other things inquired of him whether, accord- 
ing to their belief, the body was translated to the other 
world or only the spirit ; the priest, after a considerable 
pause, at length replied, that the flesh and bones went to 
the earth, but that all within went to the sky. From his 
manner, however, the question seemed greatly to embar- 
rass him, and it appeared as though a new field was 
opened to his view. 

" ' Besides the gods at the burying-place, or moral, as it 
is called by them, they have their household gods, which 
are hung round their necks, generally made of human 
bones ; and others, which are carved on the handles of 
their fans, on their stilts, their canes, and more particu- 
larly on their war-clubs ; but these gods are not held in 
any estimation ; they are sold, exchanged, and given 
away with the same indifference as any other object, 
and indeed the most precious relics, the skulls and other 
bones of their relations, are disposed of with equal 
indifference. 

" ' When we were at war with the Typees, the Happahs 
and Tayehs made a strict search in the houses of the 
enemy for the skulls of their ancestors who had been 
slain in battle (knowing where they were deposited) ; 
many were found, and the possessors seemed rejoiced 
that they had recovered from the enemy so inestimable 
a relic. Dr. Hoffman seeing a man with three or four 
skulls strung round his waist, asked him for them, and 
they were given up immediately, although they had 
belonged to his father, brother, or some near relation. 
Next day several appeared at the village with the skulls 



THE WAE WITH THE TYPEES. 221 

to traffic for harpoons. A very old nian came to the 
village as a representative from one of the tribes, and 
wishing to make me a present, and having nothing else 
to give me, took from his neck a string of bones cut in 
the form of their gods, and assured me they were the 
bones of his grandmother. 

" ' In religion these people are mere children ; their 
morals are their babj^-houses, and their gods are their 
dolls. I have seen Gattanewa with all his sons, and 
many others, sitting for hours together clapping their 
hands and singing before a number of little wooden gods 
laid out in small houses erected for the occasion, and 
ornamented with strips of cloth ; they were such houses 
as a child would have made, of about two feet long and 
eighteen inches high, and no less than ten or twelve of 
them in a cluster, like a small village. By the side of this 
were several canoes, furnished with their paddles, seines, 
harpoons, and other fishing apparatus, and round the 
whole a line was drawn to show that the whole place 
was tabooed. Within this line was Gattanewa and others, 
like overgrown babies, singing and clapping their hands, 
sometimes laughing and talking, and appearing to give 
their ceremony no attention. He asked me if the place 
was not very fine ; and it vf as on this occasion that he 
tabooed me, in order to give me an opportunity of ap- 
proaching the gods and examining them more closely. 
The whole ceremony of tabooing me consisted in taking 
a piece of white cloth from the hole through his ear, and 
tying it around my hat as a band. I wore this badge for 
several days, and simple as it was, every one I passed 
would call out tahoo^ and avoid touching me. I inquired 
the cause of this ceremony of Gattanewa, and he told me 
he was going to catch tortoises for the gods, and that he 
should have to pray to them several days and nights for 
success, during which time he should be tabooed and 
dare not enter a house frequented by women.' " 

10 



222 THE WAE WITH THE TYPEES. 

Eugene came to a pause ; then, after a moment, 
" Here 's a paragraph about tattooing," he said ; " shall 
I read it?" 

" We 've had a good deal on that subject, already," 
objected his brother. 

" No matter," interposed the Professor ; " he 's pretty 
sure to give us something new, so let 's hear him," and 
Eugene at once resumed : 

" ' Tattooing among these people is performed by 
means of a machine made of bone something like a 
comb with the teeth only on one side ; the points of the 
teeth are rubbed with a black paint made of burnt cocoa- 
nut-shell ground to powder, and mixed with water ; this 
is struck into the flesh by means of a heavy piece of 
wood which serves the purpose of a hammer. The opera- 
tion is extremely painful and streams of blood follow 
every blow, yet pride induces them to bear this torture, 
and they even suffer themselves to be tied down while 
the operation is performing in order that their agony 
may not interrupt the operator. The men commence 
tattooing as soon as they are able to bear the pain ; they 
begin at the age of eighteen or nineteen, and are rarely 
completely tattooed until they arrive at the age of thirty- 
five. The women begin about the same age ; they have 
only their legs, arms, and hands tattooed — which is 
done with extraordinary neatness and delicacy — and 
some slight lines drawn across their lips. It is also 
the practice with some to have the inside of their lips 
tattooed, but the object of this ornament I could never 
find out, as it is never seen unless they turn out their lips 
to show it. Every tribe on the island, I observed, was 
tattooed after a different fashion, and I was informed 
that every line had its meaning, and gave to the bearer 
certain privileges at their feasts. This practice of tattoo- 
ing: sometimes occasions sores which fester and are sev- 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 223 

eral weeks in healing; it, however, never produces any 
serious consequences, or leaves any scars behind. 

" ' On the 9th of December I had all my provisions, 
wood, and water on board, my decks filled with hogs, and 
a most abundant supply of cocoanuts and bananas, with 
which we had been furnished by the liberality of our 
Nukahiva friends, who had reserved for us a stock of 
dried cocoanuts, suitable for taking to sea, and calculated 
to keep for some three or four months. 

" ' I now found it necessary to stop the liberty I had 
heretofore given my people, and directed that every per- 
son should remain on board and work late and early to 
hasten the departure of the ship ; but three of my crew 
determined on having a parting kiss, and to obtain it, 
swam on shore at night ; they were caught on the beach 
and brought to me. I immediately caused them to be 
confined in irons, and determined to check any further 
disobedience of my orders by the most exemplary pun- 
ishment. I next morning caused them to be punished at 
the gangway, and set them to work in chains with my 
prisoners. This severity excited some discontent and 
murmurings among the crew, but it effectually prevented 
a recurrence. 

" ' Nukahiva had many charms for a sailor, and had 
part of my crew felt disposed to remain there, I knew 
they would not absent themselves until the moment 
before my departure. This affair had, however, like to 
have ended seriously ; my crew did not see the same 
motives for restraint as myself; they had long been 
indulged, and they thought it hard now to be deprived 
of their usual liberty ; one kiss now was worth a thou- 
sand at any other time ; they were restless, discontented, 
and unhappy. The girls lined the beach from morning 
till night, and every moment importuned me to take the 
taboo off the men, and laughingly expressed their grief 



224 THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

by dipping their fingers into the sea and touching their 
eyes, so as to let the salt water trickle down theirxheeks. 
Others would seize a chip, and holding it in the manner 
of a shark's tooth, declared they Avould cut themselves to 
pieces in despair ; some threatened to beat their brains 
out with a spear of grass, some to drown themselves, and 
all were determined to inflict on themselves some dread- 
ful punishment if I did not permit their sAveethearts to 
come on shore. The men did not bear it with so much 
good humor ; their situation, they said, was worse than 
slavery.' 

" And I don't blame them for thinking so," added the 
reader, emphatically, as he closed the book with a slam. 
" What ! is that all ? " demanded Chester, hastily. 
" Yes," was the reply ; " so far as the Commodore is 
concerned." 

" Did Porter leave the island with his whole fleet ? " 
asked Captain Bradford. 

" No," said Eugene ; " he sailed on the 12th of Decem- 
ber, with the Essex and Essex Junior only. The other 
vessels he had warped in under the guns of the fort 
before he left." 

" Then some of his force was left behind ? " observed 
Mr. Morgan. 

" Yes, the command of the fort was given to Lieuten- 
ant Gamble, of the marines, who had under him Feltus 
and Clapp, two of the midshipmen, and twenty-one men." 
" What was the Commodore's idea in leaving the 
prizes there ? " asked Captain Bradford. 

" To secure the means of future repairs, and to avoid 
any unnecessary detention." 

" But he must have had some understanding with 
Gamble as to what he should do, in case he did n't 
return in a given time," said the Captain. 

" Yes, it was understood that if the lieutenant did not 



THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 225 ' 

hear from him within five and a half months, he was to 
leave the island and make- the best of his way home." 

" Well," said Chester, " in a word, what happened after 
the Commodore left ? " 

" The JEssex^^ rejoined his brother, " had no sooner 
disappeared than the savages began to show a tm'bulent 
disposition. This was, for the time, quieted. Soon after, 
one of the men was drowned, and four deserted in a 
whaleboat. In April a part of the men mutinied and 
sailed away in the Seringapatam. In May the natives 
attacked them and killed Midshipman Feltus and three 
of the men, and severely wounded another. The whole 
party was now reduced to eight individuals, of whom 
only four were fit for duty. With these Mr. Gamble got 
to sea in the Sir Aiidreiu Hammond, and went to the 
Hawaiian Islands, where he was soon after captured by 
the Oherub. He then learned the fate of the Essex, 
which, on the last of March, after a bloody and long- 
sustained battle with the British ships Plioebe and Cherub, 
in the neutral harbor of Yalparaiso, had surrendered." 

" Yes," exclaimed the Captain, quickly, " and that was 
a dastardly piece of business on the part of the British." 

" It was so," assented Eugene, with emphasis. 

" But how did Porter come to let the enemy get the 
best of him at last?" asked Mr. Morgan, much interested. 

" The action," explained Eugene, " was fought under 
great disadvantages, with a far superior force of the 
enemy. Just before going into battle, a squall of wind 
had carried away the maintop-mast of the Essex, so that 
Commodore Porter could not manoeuver his ship. She 
therefore lay completely at the mercy of the. enemy, who 
could choose his own position and distance, and, with his 
guns of longer reach, pour in the shot upon his crippled 
antagonist, without the latter having the shadow of a 
chance for a successful defense. But, notwithstanding it 



226 THE WAR WITH THE TYPEES. 

all, the brave Commodore made a splendid fight ; indeed, 
he refused to surrender until his principal officers and 
more than one-half of his crew had been killed or 
wounded." 

" Well, I hope he was well treated when he reached 
home," said Morgan. 

" He was everywhere received with the highest honors. 
Congress and the several States gave him a vote of 
thanks, and by universal acclamation he was called ' The 
Hero of the Pacific' " 

" Good ; I am glad to hear it." 

"And so am I," said Chester; "but I should like very 
much to know just what permanent effect his visit had 
on those islanders. Can you tell us. Professor ? " 

" No," was the reply ; " but I think I can give you some 
idea, after consulting an author who has been quoted 
here more than once during the past few days." 

" As you will want time for that. Professor," suggested 
the Captain, " I move we postpone further consideration 
of the subject until to-morrow." 

The motion was unanimously carried, and the little 
group soon broke up. 



CHAPTER XIY. 



UAHUaA — NUKAHIVA. 



~]V T one was disposed to linger long at the breakfast 
1 >l table next morning ; and on rising, all, with one 
accord, sought the quarter-deck. It was a lovely day, 
not too warm, though but little air was stirring, and the 
broad expanse of ocean round was truly pacific. The 
most comfortable chair was pushed ' forward into the 
best place, and the Professor ordered to take possession, 
which, after a mild protest, he proceeded to do. Then, 
^th eager haste, Eugene demanded to know what in- 
formation his researches had brought him since the day 
before. 

" Not so much that is new as I had hoped," answered 
the Professor, with a smile ; " still, I have been greatly 
interested in noting the many corroborations of Porter's 
statements that I find in other works." 

" And you have formed some idea of the impression 
left on the Marquesans by the Commodore's visit ? " 
asked Chester. 

" You shall hear." Then, after settling himself com- 
fortably in his chair, and glancing at a memorandum 
in his hand, he continued : 

" Sixteen years after Porter sailed away from Nukahiva, 
the United States ship Vincennes visited the group, with 
C. S. Stewart on board, as chaplain, and as you doubtless 
know, that gentleman has left us an entertaining account 
of the visit. 

" The Vincennes first sighted Uahuga, the most eastern 
island of the northern cluster. They at once bore down 

(227) 



228 UAHUGA. 

for it, and weathering the southeast point, coasted for a 
distance of fifteen miles along its southern shore. On 
this side, Stewart says, it seemed lofty, precipitous, and 
barren ; and he estimates its greatest height at from 
fifteen hundred to two thousand feet. 

" Like most other high, tropical islands, it is deeply 
furrowed with narrow glens, separated from each other 
by sharp spurs of mountain, running from the highland 
in the center to the shore. Here and there, he tells us, 
a small plain or table-land, and occasionally a short sand 
beach appears, but no alluvial interval, and generally a 
bold coast, with breakers dashing high against its dark 
cliffs. No woodland is to be seen except on the loftiest 
peaks of the interior ; but all the high ridges and valleys, 
and the whole surface of the country, is beautifully ver- 
dant from a heavy growth of tufted grass. 

" As they sailed along, the wildness of . the formation 
rapidly increased, until they made the southwest point. 
As yet they had discovered no sign whatever of the 
inhabitants. ' Everything on shore,' he says, ' seemed 
solitary as the desert. Disappointed in this respect, and 
the night rapidly approaching, we were about to bear 
away for Nukahiva, already dimly descried in the west, 
when a high bluff of rocks directly abreast of the ship 
became suddenly crowned with islanders, whose light 
skins and naked figures were perfectly distinguishable, 
while the shore rang with wild shouts, as they waved 
streamers of white cloth high on their spears, and tossed 
their mantles above their heads in the air. Having too 
much sail set readily to check the way of the ship, we 
soon shot past, while the natives, scampering along the 
heights and over a hill ahead, shouted and whistled with 
every variety of intonation of voice, and still wildly ges- 
ticulated with their hands and arms, and waved their 
tapas on high.' 



UAHUGA. 229 

" They reduced sail as rapidly as possible, and getting 
at the same time under the lee of the land, their progress 
soon became almost imperceptible. And now, from every 
direction, they saw the natives hurrying toward them, 
some climbing down the face of a rocky promontory 
just ahead, and all shouting, and beckoning, and waving 
streamers. 

" The hills behind this bluff rise precipitately, and are 
beautifully wooded. ' In coming abreast of it,' Stewart 
says, ' we found it to shelter by its projection, a short, 
pebbly beach, opening into a narrow ravine, filled with 
heavy groves to the water's edge. The front of the glen 
is but a few rods in width, and so completely occupied 
with trees as to appear but one deeply-shaded bower. 
Nothing like a habitation could be discerned, and it is 
probable that the shelter of the groves and the recesses 
of the rocks constitute the only abodes of the forty or 
fifty natives seen hanging among the cliffs, or clustering 
in rude excitement on the shore. 

" ' The scene was one of the wildest imaginable ; and 
such as few have it in their power ever to behold. The 
picturesque beauty of the wooded hills and glen brightly 
gleaming in the setting sun, the naked figures of the 
islanders, and their rude and extravagant gestures and 
vociferations, exhibiting man in the simplest state of 
nature, still the unclothed tenant of the forest, could 
scarce fail in producing a most powerful sensation among 
those who had never before witnessed anything of the 
kind. And I suspect no one on board was disappointed 
in the depth of the impression or degree of excitement 
occasioned by this first scene in the South Seas. 

" ' In the midst of the shouting and apparent impor- 
tunity for us to land, the Captain ordered the music on 
deck ; and the moment its full and animated strains 

reached the shore, the effect on them was most evident. 

10* 



230 NUKAHIVA. 

They instantly crouched to the ground in perfect silence, 
as if under the influence of a charm. Nothing of the 
kind, it is probaljle, ever broke upon their ears before, 
and well might there have been a mingling of supersti- 
tion in their minds with the sudden swelling on the 
breeze of sounds new and seemingly unearthly. As the 
night was rapidly approaching, there was no time to 
attempt sending a boat off ; and while the band con- 
tinued to play a succession of airs, the ship was headed 
for Nukahiva, and all sail again set. We were soon 
beyond the reach of their voices ; but they were seen, 
while the shades of the evening gathered round them, 
still seated on the rocks and under their dark bowers, as 
if absorbed in silent wonder and admiration.' 

" It is probable that few ships, if any, had ever before 
been so near this little spot ; and to its inhabitants the 
great man-of-war, with its full-toned band, its many 
flags, and its numerous crew, must have seemed for the 
moment like a vision of brightness from another world. 

" The channel between Uahuga and Nukahiva being 
less than thirty miles wide, they ran only a part of the 
night, lying to the remainder. Next morning they were 
eight or ten miles from the latter, with the whole east 
end in view. Uapoa, the third island in the cluster, was 
also in sight, twenty miles to the south. 

"As they approached Nukahiva, the only object that 
attracted particular attention was the headland forming 
the southeast point, for which they were steering. Stew- 
art describes it as a bold and lofty promontory, sur- 
mounted by a gigantic rock, having a most striking 
resemblance to the ruinous watch-tower of some dilapi- 
dated castle, upheld by ponderous bastions, and termina- 
ting in a formation which requires but little fancy to 
transform into battlements and a parapet. This point 
they called Tower Bluff. 




GLEN, HEAD OF THE VALLEY OF TIENUOY. 



NUKAHIVA. 233 

" On passing it, they came to the bay and valley of 
Oomi, inhabited by the Typees, the tribe, you remember, 
with which Commodore Porter fought. The valley was 
filled with verdure, and richly covered, to the mountain 
tops, with groves of the cocoanut and bread-fruit. A 
high green point, and an arm of the sea running three 
or four miles inland, separate this valley and its waters 
from that of the Happahs, the only tribe intervening 
between the Typees and the Tayehs, the occupants of 
Tieuhoy, where they at length came to anchor. 

" While off the valley of the Happahs, they were 
boarded by a naked swarm of the natives, male and 
female, and soon ascertained from them that their tribe 
and the Typees were, as usual, at war ; and that, only 
two days previous, there had been a sea fight between 
them near the spot where they then were. Their 
grimaces of detestation and deadly hatred to their 
enemies, as they pointed to their habitations and valley, 
and pantomimic -representations of the battle, the dis- 
charge of the muskets, and effect of the shot, were, says 
Stewart, quite amusing. They used all the eloquence of 
speech and gesture to induce the new-comers to espouse 
their cause and pour destruction on the poor Typees, 
whose very name seemed a terror among them. For 
this purpose they wished them to come to anchor near 
their valley ; but finding them determined to proceed to 
Tieuhoy, they remained on board, the Tayehs, just then, 
being their friends and allies. ' 

" They found Tieuhoy very much as Porter first saw it. 
From the beach in the center, luxuriant groves spread 
thickly and widely among bright unwooded hills, and 
velvei>-like lawns through the valleys behind, and up the 
lower hills skirting them, to the highest elevations. At 
the head of the principal valley a gigantic pyramid of 
rock presents an object strikingly unique in its form and 



234 NUKAHIVA. 

position. On the right, and Ijchind this, a perpendicular 
basaltic wall of several hundred feet crowns the summit 
of the loftiest mountain ; and opposite, on the left, an 
immense projecting cliff of gray stone, mantled with 
trees and richly hanging parasitical plants, seems ready, 
momentarily, to leap from the face of the precipice 
against which it stands, to the bosom of the green 
■valley below. Innumerable sharp ridges and deep glens 
intersect the whole, down which the mountain streams 
tumble and foam in rapids and cascades, gleaming in 
their dark channels like streams of silver on the eye. 

" The valleys are so thickly covered with trees that few 
of the habitations of the natives are seen. Three or four 
occupy the open summit of some of the nearest hills ; 
the bleached thatch of others, here and there, peep 
through the heavy foliage embowering them ; and one 
or two are discerned, hanging like birds' nests, high in 
the solitudes of the mountain forests. 

" They had come to anchor just opposite the former 
encampment of Commodore Porter, the place he called 
Madisonville. While yet under way, two or three canoes 
were seen paddling toward them from the fishing grounds, 
near the sea, and others from the center of the bay ; and 
they had hardly let go their anchor before scores of both 
sexes came swimming in all directions from the shore, 
soon surrounding the ship, sporting and blowing like so 
many porpoises. They were all received on board ; and 
speedily there was noise and confusion in abundance. 
Many of them, both men and women, were entirely 
naked, though most of the latter brought with them a 
pau or Tcihei (petticoat or mantle) tied up in leaves or 
native cloth, and elevated on a short stick, which they 
held above their heads with one hand, while they swam 
with the other. Till they gained the deck, however, and 
had time to make their toilet there, they all stood d la 



NUKAHIVA. 



235 



Venus de Medici"^ an attitude which many, from an 
entire deficiency in their wardrobe on this aquatic excur- 
sion, were obliged to retain. The number on board, our 
informant tells us, amounted to between one hundred and 
fifty and two hundred. 

" It was not till three hours later that a canoe of chief- 
tains arrived alongside. The party consisted of Moana, 
the prince or king of the tribe, a boy about eight years of 
age ; Haape, the guar- 
dian of the prince, and 
regent during the mi- 
nority ; Tenae, his son, 
of the same age as 
Moana, and Piaroro, a 
chief of rank from the 
neighboring tribe of 
the Happahs. Neither 
men nor boys had any 
other clothing than the 
simple maro of an in- 
ferior kind of tapa or 
native cloth. The 
prince and his compan- 
ion were bright little 
fellows, and, as if by 
common consent, be- 
came great favorites piaroro's hand. 
with all the officers. 

" Haap6 was a middle-aged man of mild countenance 
and seemingly of a kind and amiable disposition. He 
welcomed the visitors with great cordiality, taking it for 
granted that, by the arrival of one of ' Opotee's ships^ as 
they call all American vessels, he had gained just the 
kind of ally against the Typees that he needed. 

" Piaroro was a noble-looking fellow, tall and large, 




236 NUKAHIVA. 

not very muscular, bnt of admirable proportions, with a 
general contour of figure and roundness and polish of 
limb that would have done grace to an Apollo. His skin 
was so perfectly covered with tattoo, in a variety of taste- 
ful and symmetrical figures, as to give him the appear- 
ance of being clothed ; and, though it was apparent that 
naturally his complexion was as fair as most of his coun- 
trymen, his whole face and head, chest and shoulders, 
were, from this cause, as black as a negro's. The dress- 
ing of the head constitutes a principal labor of the toilet 
of both sexes ; and Piaroro's hair was arranged with the 
greatest care, being tied very smoothly and closely, with 
white tapa, in two bunches on the top. 

" After informing the chiefs, through an interpreter, of 
the object of his visit, the captain of the Vincennes offered 
them refreshments ; and while they were eating, the band 
struck up on deck. They at once hurried from the cabin, 
and until evening gave themselves up, with all the aban- 
don and delight of children, to the enjoyment of the 
music. 

" On entering the harbor a white flag had been hoisted 
at the fore-top-mast-head, as a signal that the ship was 
free of access to all who might choose to come on board. 
The captain informed them of the design in setting it, 
and told the chiefs that any of the people might come 
off whenever they saw it flying, but that the taking of it 
down would show that the ship was tabooed till it should 
be hoisted again ; that now it was to be lowered for the 
night, and all on board, men and women, must start for 
the shore. 

" This Haapd and Piaroro made known to the crowds 
thronging the decks and rigging from stem to stern, and 
mildly used their authority with them. At first, little 
attention was paid to the oi-der ; but when the captain 
repeated the injunction to the chiefs, assuring them that 



NUKAHIVA. 237 

the ship must be cleared, they assumed a more authori- 
tative and decided tone toward the people, and the men 
began plunging oveTboard amidst the confusion of a 
general chatter and exclamation. 

" The women manifestly considered the order as refer- 
ring only to the other sex, and very composedly remained, 
clustered about, in the belief that, like all other ships 
probably that had ever visited them, the Vincennes was 
to be their home till her anchor was raised for sea again. 
And when, after repeated declarations that they too must 
go, they began to suspect the truth of the case, scarce 
anything could exceed the looks of surprise and inquiry 
they cast on one another and on the ship's company. 
They seemed determined, by their dilatory movements 
in obeying the order, still further to test the reality of 
such an unknown measure ; and it was not till the drum 
had beat to quarters, and the officers had very courte- 
ously pointed out with their swords the steps at the 
gangway to them, that they too began, with many a 
' taha ! taha ! ' to leap, one after another, into the water, 
and pull away, as they have learned themselves to ex- 
press it, for the shore. The chiefs said, laughingly, as 
they took their leave to enter their canoe, ' This is a 
strange ship ! ' And no doubt it was the first in which 
they had ever known any restriction to be placed on the 
grossest licentiousness. 

" The next day, by special invitation of the regent, the 
officers paid him a visit on shore. His house was located 
on the brow of a small hill near the beach, and over- 
looked the bay. It was small, but was a conspicuous 
object from the anchorage, and had a pretty cottage-like 
appearance. Moana, the young king, resided with him. 

" With regard to the houses, Stewart says : ' Though 
of very different sizes, from twenty to one hundred feet 
in length, from eight to sixteen in height, and from ten 



238 NUKAHIVA. 

to fourteen and sixteen in breadth, thej are all of one 
shape and style, and vary materially, in their form and 
construction, from the Hawaiians. 

" ' Here, the roofs, instead of descending to eaves on 
both sides of the ridge-pole, have rafters in front only, 
while the back of the house descends perpendicularly, or 
in a very slight inclination, from the peak to the ground, 
giving to the exterior the appearance of an ordinary hut, 
cut lengthwise in two. They are universally erected, so 
far as I have observed, on a platform of rough, but in 
many cases massive, stone-work, from one to four feet in 
height, which extends two or three feet beyond the area 
of the house. The rafters descend in front to a plate, or 
timber, extending the whole length of the house, sup- 
ported by a row of thick, round pillars, from three to five 
feet in height, over which the eaves project sufficiently to 
screen the entrance from the weather. 

" ' At the peak the rafters rest on a similar stick of 
timber, supported by two or more posts, from eight to 
fourteen feet in height. The space between them is 
filled with poles of bamboo, or of the light wood of the 
hibiscus, laid parallel, two or three inches apart, over 
which lighter sticks are placed horizontally, at regular 
intervals ; the whole being neatly lashed together at the 
points of intersection. The back and ends are filled up 
in the same manner, and thus prepared for the external 
covering. This is of thatch, composed either of the leaf 
of the bread-fruit tree, the cocoanut, or palmetto — Cha- 
mcerops humilis — all of which are prepared for this pur- 
pose in different methods. The cocoanut leaf is from 
twelve to sixteen feet long, and deeply feathered on 
either side of the rib running through the middle of it. 
This rib or stem is split from end to end, and the leaflets 
on each braided closely together, forming a matting of 
that length, and one and a half or two feet in breadth. 



NUKAHIVA. 239 

Thus prepared, they are placed on the rafters double, the 
higher ranges lapping over the lower, in the manner of 
slate or shingles. 

" ' The leaf of the bread-fruit is two feet in length, one 
and more in width, and deeply indented. It is prepared 
for thatching by stringing the leaves as closely as possi- 
ble upon a rod of light wood, ten or twelve feet long, and 
half an inch in diameter, through a slit made in the stem 
of each leaf ; it is then attached to the roof and sides in 
the same manner as the cocoanut, and forms a more 
durable and better thatch. But the palmetto affords the 
valued covering, and the most used, especially for the 
roof, wherever found in sufficient abundance. Its fan- 
like leaves are fastened one by one, with their centers 
about a foot from each other, upon long, split pieces of 
the hibiscus, which are then ranged upon the roof, six- 
teen or eighteen inches apart, and, thus disposed, lap 
considerably, every way, over each other. All these 
kinds of thatch, instead of becoming dark and sun- 
burned, like the grass of the Hawaiian huts, bleach 
beautifully ; and, when seen at a distance, gleam among 
the groves, in the brightness of the day, like neatly 
whitened cottages in our own country, 

" ' The fronts of the habitations are seldom thatched. 
Sometimes they are entirely open ; in which case, the 
timber supporting the roof, and the pillars beneath, are 
generally neatly hewn and ornamented by braids of 
sennit, of various colors, tied on in horizontal stripes, 
in diamonds, or in checks, in a pretty and fanciful 
manner. In most of the houses, however, the front is 
composed of bamboos, lashed horizontally to the pillars, 
at intervals of an inch or two, or in lattice-work, for the 
admission of light ; in which case there is a small door 
in the middle, furnished with a shutter, in a slide, to be 
closed or opened at pleasure. Such as this last was the 



240 NUKAHIVA. 

front, and such the door by which the officers entered 
the dwelling of Haap^.' 

" There were a number of persons in the house, besides 
the regent's wife and female relatives, children, and ser- 
vants ; some sitting, and others lying and lounging 
around. All of the women wore more or less clothing, 
and most of them had paid particular attention to their 
hair. The wife of Haap^, a fine-looking and graceful 
person, was nursing a child, of which she seemed very 
fond. 

" ' In every house,' the Chaplain explains, ' the internal 
arrangement is the same. A smooth trunk of a cocoanut 
tree extends the whole length, a foot or two from the 
farther side. At an interval of about four feet another 
lies parallel to it ; and the space between, spread with 
grass and covered with mats, constitutes the bed of the 
whole family and household ; the innermost log forming 
a general pillow, and the second a support for the lower 
limbs, which extend over it. The rest of the area is a 
paved floor, a foot or two above the platform without, 
upon which they . partake of their meals, and perform 
their indoor work. 

" ' Calabashes of food and water, wooden bowls and 
trays, some stone adzes, with other rude implements, 
numerous spears and war-clubs, and a few muskets 
sticking in the thatch, constituted the furniture of the 
establishment.' 

" The crowd following the party in, added to the heat 
and closeness of the house ; and this, together with 
swarms of flies and the smell of cocoanut-oil, soon made 
them very uncomfortable ; so that, after a few expressions 
of civility, the Captain hastened to distribute among the 
chiefs of both sexes some small, but to them valuable 
and useful presents, and then, with his party, hurried 
away. It was noticed that the presents were received 



NUKAHIVA. 241 

with the utmost eagerness and cupidity, and with an 
evident jealousy of one another ; each secreting imme- 
diately, under some garment or beneath him, whatever 
was placed in his possession. 

" Once in the open air, they determined to take a walk 
inland, among the groves and plantations of the valley. 
The surface of the lowland they found uneven, and 
entirely covered with groves of the bread-fruit, cocoanut, 
and various other trees, with scarce a sign of any arti- 
ficial cultivation. In a walk of more than a mile, they 
saw one or two small inclosures only, containing clusters 
of the cloth plant or paper mulberry, sugar-cane, and 
roots of the draccena terminalis, and a few tobacco 
plants ; these, however, appeared well kept ; and the 
fences surrounding them very neatly constructed of 
bamboo, lashed horizontally to stakes set in the ground, 
with cords formed of the shreds of the cocoanut-shell. 

" After a delightful walk of some miles, they came to 
a talma — theater, or opera-house — a large, rectangular 
platform of stone pavement, surrounded by low terraces 
also laid with stone. The first is designed for the public 
exhibitions of the song and the dance, and the last for 
the accommodation of the spectators who assemble to 
witness the performance. Entertainments of this kind 
are the favorite amusements of the Marquesans, and 
every district has its tahua, or public theater, some of 
them so extensive, it is said, as to be capable of accom- 
modating ten thousand people. 

" They next came to a meae, or temple, which they 
found in a sadly dilapidated condition. To account for 
its ruinous state, the natives told them that during the 
past year they had been at war with the Happahs, that 
the enemy had proved victorious, and carried their spolia- 
tions even to the temples — bearing away all the images, 
a»d leaving the buildings in ruins. No attempt, it ap- 



242 NUKAHIVA. 

peared, had been made to replace the idols, or repair 
their former dwellings — an evidence of indifference to 
the symbols of their superstitions quite surprising. To 
the same cause was to be attributed the many appear- 
ances of neglect and decay in the district, and the mani- 
fest poverty of the chiefs and people. Haapd himself 
was in a state of vassalage, and the whole valle/ in 
surveillance to Piarro, the chieftain of the Happahs — 
with them nominally as a guest, but in reality as ruler 
and exactor of imposts. 

" After partaking of refreshments, furnished them by 
the chiefs, they retraced their steps, amid admiring 
crowds, to the beach. The Chaplain's robes and scarf 
were the subjects of the highest attraction. They seemed 
to take the fancy of the people even more than the glit- 
ter and lace of his companions ; and when his hands 
were discovered in a pair of black kid gloves, stitched 
with white, he could scarce free himself from the throngs 
gathering round with wonder and delight. They ap- 
peared to think them a species of tattoo inseparable 
from the hand ; and as they gazed at, and felt his 
fingers through them, '■motaki! motaki!'' — good! good! 
in tones of the highest satisfaction, burst from a hundred 
lips. 

" The writer, after intimating that they at length 
parted with their simple friends on the beach and pro- 
ceeded to the ship, next refers to the taboo, — but perhaps 
we have had enough on that subject already ? " and the 
Professor regarded his auditors with a questioning look. 

" Yes, indeed," exclaimed Eugene quickly ; " please go 
on with something a little more interesting." 

" Wait a moment," interposed his brother ; " I would 
like very much to know what the author has to say as to 
the effect of the taboo on the women and common people 
of the island." 



NUKAHIVA. 243 

" Well, then," said the Professor, " he observes that, 
as in other groups where this system prevails, the restric- 
tions of the taboo particularly affect the women and all 
of the common class, in points respecting their habita- 
tions and food. The houses of the men of the tabooed 
class, he says, can never be entered by a woman or other 
person of the common order ; consequently, the wives of 
such, and other females with their attendants in their 
families, whether in a stated or temporary residence, 
have separate houses for cooking and eating. But though 
the house and food of the man is prohibited to them, 
theirs are all free to him, and he can enter them at 
pleasure." 

" Decidedly, he has the best of it," commented Chester. 

" Yes," continued the Professor, " and in regard to 
food, the bread-fruit, cocoanut, yam, and various mixed' 
dishes formed of these articles, with most kinds of fish, 
are eaten indiscriminately by both classes, except such 
as become incidentally tabooed by being placed in a bas- 
ket, calabash, or other utensil of a tabooed person ; all 
such contact consecrating them to a restricted use. But 
bananas, hogs, turtles, cuttle-fish, bonetta, and albacore, 
are always tabooed to those not belonging to the privileged 
order." 

" The tabooed class are very jealous of their dignity," 
observed Captain Bradford ; " you can't even pass any- 
thing over the head of one of them." 

" That is true," assented the Professor ; " and on this 
point Stuart says : ' Anything passing over the head of a 
person, or even the hand of a tabooed man, must never 
itself be passed over, sat, or lain upon. To suffer this, 
would be a profanation of it, in their view, which would 
bring the displeasure of the gods upon the individual 
through whom it became restricted, by its being passed 
over his head. Consequently, when this infringement 



244 NUKAHIVA. 

takes place, whether by accident or design, the individual 
causing the profanation, by applying the article to any 
common use, becomes an object of revenge to the other ; 
and his life is sought as the only atonement for his care- 
lessness or presumption. Till his death is secured, the 
person through whom the article became tabooed is sup- 
posed liable to the power of some fatal disorder or the 
infliction of other dreadful calamities. 

" ' If a woman steps over, or lies on anything which 
has been consecrated by passing over a tabooed man, the 
article thus profaned can never be used as before, and 
the woman must be put to death. In general, however, 
the chief inconvenience that arises from this incidental 
consecration of an article, is the restriction of its par- 
ticular use. For instance, if a tabooed man places his 
hand beneath a sleeping-mat, it can never be used as 
such again ; but it may be worn as a mantle or fitted to 
a canoe for a sail, though a mantle or sail — having been 
over the heads of others — cannot be used as a sleeping- 
mat." 

"Well, for my part," began Eugene, with great en- 
ergy, "I — " 

" There's the summons to lunch, gentlemen ! " ex- 
claimed the Captain, abruptly. 

" And a very good point to leave off at," said the Pro- 
fessor, starting to his feet. 



CHAPTEE, XV. 

MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

WHEN our little party had assembled on the quar- 
ter-deck the next morning, Eugene suddenly said : 

" I 've been thinking about the tahuas or theatres that 
were mentioned yesterday ; I 'd like to know a little more 
about them." 

" I think pahooa is nearer the correct pronunciation," 
observed the Captain. 

" Ah, you know something about them, then ? " rejoined 
Eugene. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " and as the Professor said, you 
will find one of these amphitheaters in every village. 
They are generally situated in a sheltered and level spot, 
surrounded on all sides with rising banks. The middle 
of the amphitheater is carefully smoothed and covered 
with mats, and the rising banks serve as seats for the 
spectators. When a dance is to be performed, the mats 
are laid afresh and a large amount of food is prepared. 
The spectators take the food with them, and, seated on 
the banks, remain there throughout the greater part of 
the day." 

" Tell us something about the dances." 

" To tell the truth, they are not very graceful, and 
consist principally of jumping, without moving from the 
same spot. Various ornaments are used by the dancers, 
the most curious of which are the finger-rings, which are 
made of plaited fiber, adorned with long tail-feathers 
of the tropic bird. When women dance they are not 

(245) 



246 MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

allowed to wear clothing of any description, and this for 
a curious reason." 

" What can the reason be, I should like to know ? " 
exclaimed Eugene. 

" Why," explained the Captain, " none dance except 
those whose husbands or brothers have been killed in 
war or taken prisoners, and the absence of clothing is 
accepted as an expression of sorrow on their part, and of 
vengeance on the part of the spectators." 

" Does Stewart have anything to say on this subject, 
Professor ?" asked Chester, turning to the palgeontologist. 

" Yes," was the reply, " he mentions a grand entertain- 
ment, to which he and the other officers of the Vineennes 
received a special invitation." 

" We would like to hear something about it." 

" Well," said the Professor, as he opened the little vol- 
ume he held in his hand and glanced through its pages, 
" after describing their long and tedious walk, and refer- 
ring to the throng of gaily-dressed natives they met or 
overtook by the way, and the shouts of welcome that 
greeted them on their arrival at the theater, he says : 
' The whole scene, as we came in among them and threw 
a hasty glance around, transported us at once to the 
times of Cook and the first navigators of these seas, 
when the discovery of the existence and habits of a 
people so novel, struck them with a surprise and charm 
amounting almost to fascination. 

" ' The grove is one which the Muses themselves might 
covet. Noble and majestic trees cluster widely round 
the tahua or dancing ground, on the margin of the moun- 
tain torrent. Their lofty tops so thickly interlace each 
other above, as completely to embower the whole glen ; 
and the rays of the torrid sun, beneath which we had 
been walking, instead of striking us with a scorching 
glare, fell in such rich and grateful mellowness on the 



MAEQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 247 

groups below, as to seem but the moonlight of a faiiy 
land ; an illusion which the sound of water, as if spout- 
ing from a hundred cool fountains, the half-clad figures, 
flowing drapery, and sportive manners of the throng, had 
little tendency to break. 

" ' The assembly consisted of several hundred persons 
of both sexes, in all the display of dress which their con- 
dition allows. The warriors in battle array, and the 
dancers in their fanciful costumes, were the most con- 
spicuous objects ; while the appearance of all, especially 
that of the females, evidenced great attention in the 
preparations of the toilet. In justice to the Happahs, I 
must say, that in many instances they exhibited proofs 
of gracefulness and taste, in the arrangement of their 
head-dresses and maiitles, that would have gained them 
credit in more polished circles of fashion than are known 
in their sea-girt isles. 

" ' White appears to be the favorite hue, especially for 
decorations of the head. Their turbans are of various 
shapes ; the most common consists of a piece of native 
cloth, of the size of an ordinary pocket-handkerchief, 
bound closely to the head, having the ends twisted into a 
large knot immediately in front or on one side over the 
temple. The ends of others are longer, and formed into 
large puffs or cockades on the top or sides. In some 
there is an opening on the crown for the hair, which, 
tied closely to the head, then hangs down in ringlets on 
the neck and shoulders. Some wear fillets or bandeaus 
only, either with or without bows or hanging ends, and 
many leave their black tresses entirely unconfined, and 
flowing carelessly over their mantles. 

" ' The pau, or native petticoat, is much less worn here 

than at the Sandwich Islands ; and often the only dress 

of the females is the large kehei or mantle in which the 

Hawaiians wrap themselves in the coolness of the even- 

11 



248 MAEQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

ing or morning. Here, this is unfastened, except as 
gathered round the figure in thick folds hy the hands, 
over both shoulders or under one arm, leaving the other 
uncovered. When it became deranged, the grasp is let 
go, and the whole readjusted, though often at a sacrifice 
of every appearance of delicacy. ' 

" ' Till now, I had begun to doubt, from all I had seen 
at the sea-side, whether the natives of this group are so 
decidedly a finer race and handsomer looking people than 
the Society and Sandwich Islanders, as they are generally 
accredited to be. But judging from those seen on this 
occasion, I am fully persuaded they are ; particularly in 
the female sex. Many of these present were exceedingly 
beautiful ; and two or three, so strikingly like some of 
the most distinguished beauties in our own country I ever 
met, that the first glance brought them to my recollec- 
tion. Their eyes have a rich brilliancy, softened by long, 
glossy eye-lashes that can scarce be surpassed ; which, 
with a regularity and whiteness of teeth unrivaled, add 
greatly to the impression of features of a more European 
mould than most uncivilized people I have seen. In 
complexion, many of them are very fair ; scarce, if any, 
darker than a clear brunette, admitting even, in some 
cases, of a distinct mantling of color in the cheek and 
lips ; while in figure, they are small, and delicately 
formed, with arms and hands that would bear comparison 
with any in the drawing-rooms of the most polished 
noblesse. 

" ' The arrival of our party could scarce fail interrupt- 
ing the songs and dance a few moments ; and for a time 
there was no little confusion and uproar. But after 
being received and welcomed by the chiefs, and placed 
in seats of honor and of good observation beside them, 
they were quickly renewed. 

" ' The performers in the part we witnessed, were a 



maequesans, their habits and amusements. 249 

young chief eighteen or twenty years old at one end of 
the arena, and two boys of eight or ten at the corners 
of the other. The music, if such it can be called, was 
that of four drums on each side of the inner pavement, 
and the voices and loud clapping of hands of about one 
hundred and fifty singers, seated on the upper platform 
with the chiefs and warriors. The drums were small, 
not more than two feet and a half in height, and ten or 
twelve inches in diameter, formed from the trunk of a 
kou tree Qcordia), hollowed to the thickness of an inch 
nearly two-thirds of the length from the top. They were 
excavated at the bottom also, leaving a partition between 
the tAvo with a small hole in the center. The heads were 
of shark skin, laced on with flat sennit of the cocoanut 
fiber, in a manner similar to that in which the}^ are 
tightened in common drums with us. They stand up- 
right on the ground before the performer, and are beaten 
with the hand only, in rapid strokes of the fingers joined 
together, while the ball rests on the edge. Around the 
bottom long oval holes are cut vertically, to cause an 
increase of soimd. 

" ' The dance commenced by a slow beating on the 
drums, followed by graceful movements of the hands, 
arms, and feet of the dancers in a similar time, but 
increasing quickly with the rapidity of the beat, to a 
display of great activity. The singers joined in, upon 
the first motions of the dancers ; these last also taking a 
part, sometimes in solos, and sometimes in duet, followed 
by responses from the orchestra, or grand choruses by 
the whole. 

" ' The principal dancer was uncommonly handsome, 
both in face and figure ; of great roundness of limb, and 
though not large, admirably proportioned. The use of 
the papaiv, and seclusion from the sun, had rendered 
him almost as fair as any one of our number, making his 



250 MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

whole style more that of an Adonis than of an Apollo. 
His dress was little calculated for ornament. It con- 
sisted of a large quantity of white human hair, worn high 
and much frizzled around his head ; of heavy hunches of 
the same material, but black, about the wrist and ankles; 
and of a profuse quantity of white cloth around the ,loins 
as a maro. That of the boys was more striking and fan- 
ciful. One wore on his head the feathered helmet, and 
other decorations of the ear and neck of a warrior ; the 
cap and plumage being of a height equal to all the rest 
of his figure. Above his girdle was a full sash of white 
cloth, tied in a large bow with long ends in front ; and 
from it four white cords of platted tapa, two behind 
and two before, descended to the knee, each terminating 
in monstrous tassels of black hair, fastened to flat, circu- 
lar pieces of wood, whitened with pipe clay. His waist, 
wrists, and ankles were also hung with the same, and in 
either haud he held a small tuft of white. 

" ' The head-dress of the other was a bandeau of white 
cloth, in a thick roll over the forehead ; and above this, a 
wreath of black feathers, surmounted by a high orna- 
ment of white tapa gathered into folds at the frontlet, 
and spreading above into a large cockade in the shape of 
a peacock's tail ; the whole having an airy and tasteful 
appearance. His necklace was composed of alternate 
bunches of a brightly shining aromatic vine, and the 
flower of the cape jessamine ; while his maro, of the 
purest white, arranged in neat folds, was intei'twined 
with garlands of the same. 

" ' The dance ceased at the end of twenty or thirty 
minutes ; and a company of young females, forty or fifty 
in number, seated on an adjoining and elevated platform, 
began singing, in the dull ' and monotonous repetitions of 
the same intonations of voice characterizing all their 
songs, accompanied by a loud and simultaneous clapping 



MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 251 

of the hands, brought together in a manner to produce 
a very peculiar sound. An inquiry into the meaning of 
this, made us acquainted with the occasion of the present 
celebration. 

"'The learning of a new set of songs had been 
enjoined some months previous on these girls, and they 
were placed under certain restrictions of the taboo till it 
should be accomplished. This had now been done, and 
the dance was held in commemoration of it. 

" ' These exhibitions are known by the general name 
of Tcoika. They are celebrated on a great variety of occa- 
sions, but the most noted are those which take place at 
the ingathering of the bread-fruit harvests, and at a rati- 
fication of peace, when two or more tribes have been at 
war. Such is the passion of the people for the amuse- 
ment, that to enjoy it they not only make the longest 
and most fatiguing journeys from all parts of an island, 
carrying their food and suffering the greatest incon- 
venience, but not unfrequently hazard their lives by 
voyages in their wretched boats to other islands ; besides 
being exposed, while there, to murder, in the conflicts 
which almost invariably arise among parties from differ- 
ent tribes, at their close, and in which all are obliged, on 
one side or the other, to take part. 

" ' The singers by profession, called haioi, are the poets 
and composers, as well as performers of the songs sung 
on these occasions. The subjects are various, often fur- 
nished by some passing event, such as the arrival of a 
ship, or any less novel incident ; and not unfrequently, 
like ballads in our own country, the songs become exten- 
sively fashionable and popular, and are sung in private 
by all classes. In almost every instance, language and 
allusions of the most objectionable character, as is the 
case every day in their ordinary conversation, are intro- 
duced ; and many of them are abominable, almost beyond 
belief. 



252 MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

" ' I was too much occupied with my pencil to pay very 
particular attention to the words now repeated ; and from 
previous knowledge on this suljject, was well satisfied to 
remain ignorant of them. Before they had concluded, 
the throng around .became so annoying in their rudeness, 
and every appearance indicated such a dispositidn to 
utter licentiousness, that the charm at first felt from 
the novelty and wild beauty of the scene, was speedily 
broken; and accompanied by one or tAvo others, and soon 
followed by all the party, I began gladly to retrace my 
way to the ship. 

" ' A principal object on my part, in making the excur- 
sion, was to see pure heathenism — heathenism as it is 
before one ray of Christian light has beamed upon its 
darkness — that I might, from the observation of my 
own eyes, testify to its true character ; and that object 
has been most fully answered. Before the grossness of 
one-half that was forced upon me had passed in xiew, I 
was compelled in the thoughts of my xery soul to exclaim, 
' Stop — it is enough ! ' but I had gone beyond the point 
of escape, and the whole truth in its abominable details 
was riveted upon me. 

" ' There was less of licentiousness in the dance than I 
had expected ; but in a hundred things else there were 
such open outrages on all decency, that I hurried away 
in a horror of disgust, with a heart too much humbled 
for the race to which I belong, and too much depressed 
at the depravity and guilt of man, to think or feel upon 
any other subject. At first, I could scarcely find spirits 
to interchange a word with my companions, but hastened 
on before, or fell far behind, that the oppression within 
me might escape their notice.' " 

The Professor closed the book, and after a moment's 
silence, Chester said : 

"I don't wonder the good chaplain felt terribly op- 



MAEQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 253 

pressed ; and for my part, I am quite ready to turn to a 
more attractive subject. You said the other day, Pro- 
fessor, that this people had no history; did you mean 
also to say that they had no traditions ? " 

" I hardly meant to go so far as that," was the reply ; 
but all the traditions they possess are embodied in their 
sacred songs. These give a fabulous account of the 
origin of their islands, the names of others in whose 
existence they believe, the genealogies of the chiefs from 
their first origin, the feats of their heroes, with the his- 
tories of their wars, and all other events of which they 
profess any knowledge." 

" What account do they give of their origin ? " asked 
Chester. 

" They say that the land composing their islands was 
once located in Havaiki, or the regions below — the place 
of departed spirits, and that they rose from thence through 
the efforts of a god beneath them. At that period, they 
say, there was no sea ; but that it and all animal and 
vegetable productions were afterwards born of a woman ; 
and that originally men and fish were locked up in cav- 
erns in the depths of the earth, which burst with a great 
explosion, leaving the men upon the land, and casting 
the fish into the sea." 

" That 's a queer idea," commented Eugene. 

" Do they have any positive knowledge of the distant 
islands about them ? " asked Chester. 

" In their songs they enumerate the names of forty-four 
besides their own. In the number are evidently some of 
the Georgian and Tahitian groups ; and the description 
of another is that of a Lagoon island, to which none of 
this cluster have the least resemblance." 

" There are other traditions ? " 

"Yes; and one of them, respecting these foreign 
islands, gives an account of the introduction of the 
cocoanut here." 



254 MAEQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

" We would like to hear that," said Eugene. 

" It is merely," rejoined the Professor, " that a god, on 
a visit to them from an island, which they call Oatamaaua, 
finding them destitute of this important tree, fetched it 
to them in a stone canoe ; the whole tj-ansaction being 
described in a minute and equally incredible manner. 
They have similar accounts of the visits of the gods of 
other islands ; and in the traditions of them, we find the 
reason of their calling the first visitors from America 
and Europe atuas (gods), the name now given to all 
foreigners." 

" I suppose, then," said Eugene, " Commodore Porter 
was looked upon by them as a very great god indeed." 

" Yes," rejoined the Professor ; " and he was held in 
very general and kind remembrance by the Tayehs. The 
elder chiefs and people often inquired of the ofl&cers of 
the Vincennes where and how he was, and whether he 
would ever return to see them, and the younger as fre- 
. quently asked, referring to the Captain, whether this 
chief was ' Opotee.' " 

" Did they take any care of the village that had been 
built for him ? " 

" Stewart and another officer took a stroll over the 
ground occupied by the village, one afternoon. It was 
just abreast of the ship, you remember, on the eastern 
shore. He says a small plain, skirted and studded with 
thickets and coppices of hibiscus, with a fine sand beach, 
lay in front of the spot, and that it was guarded on the 
side toward the ocean by the rocky promontory termin- 
ating in the East Sentinel, and in the rear by steep and 
wooded acclivities. The whole was separated from the 
inhabited parts of the valley by a spur of the mountain 
and a small round hill, jutting into the bay with a rocky 
base, on which was placed the breastwork and battery, 
which commanded every approach to the village. Not a 



MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 255 

trace of the Commodore's occupation, however, was to be 
discovered." 

" Not a trace anywhere ! " exclaimed Eugene, in aston- 
ishment. 

" No," replied the Professor. " A kind of wild cucum- 
ber, which they found spread widely over the hills in the 
vicinity, they at first supposed must have been introduced 
by him, but afterwards learned that it was a plant indig- 
enous to the country, and one capable of being converted 
into a fine pickle." 

" Did not Stewart visit the valley of the Typees during 
his stay ? " asked Chester, presently. 

" Yes," responded the Professor ; " and notes many 
things of interest that came under his observation there." 

" Did he make the trip by land, crossing the moun- 
tains, and all that ? " asked Eugene. 

" No ; Captain Finch, of the Vincennes, in order that 
the Typees might have no reason for supposing him any 
more the friend of the other tribes than he was theirs, 
removed the ship to their waters, taking with him the 
young prince Moana and most of the principal chiefs of 
the Tayehs and Happahs." 

" Ah ! I see ; and that pleased the Typees, no doubt." 

"At first the appearance of the ship in their har- 
bor was regarded with suspicion by them ; few of the 
natives were anywhere to be seen, and none except at a 
distance. ' We were not surprised at this,' says Stewart ; 
' nor to learn, as we since have, that it was believed we 
had come only for war. By established and universal 
usage at this group,' — as you will remember Porter tells 
us, — ' any member of a tribe nearly related by blood or 
marriage to persons in another, may, in times of war as 
well as peace, pass with impunity from the territories of 
one to' those of another, and be regarded as a friend. 
Acquainted with this fact, we had brought with us a 
11* 



256 MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

native Typee who had married a woman at Tieuhoy, and 
was residing there; and, hoisting a white flag at the fore- 
mast head, we landed him on the rocks abreast the ship, 
as a messenger of peace. Morrison, the interpreter, was 
also dispatched in a boat to the beach, to give assurance 
to the chief personages of our pacific intentions, and to 
invite them to an interview with the captain. These 
manifestations of good will soon brought a canoe or t^vo 
alongside, with cocoanuts for barter ; and in the course 
of an hour, many men and- boys swam off, and came on 
deck. 

" ' The rain poured in torrents for two or three hours 
in the afternoon,' says Stewart, ' but ceased in time for 
"the chief of the gods" — the style of the Tauas, ac- 
cording to Morrison — accompanied by his compeer in 
civil life, to come on board before night. They were less 
imposing in their personal appearance than any of the 
higher classes we had seen, not differing, either in figure 
or address, from the most common of their fellows. 
There was no attempt at a display of costume or orna- 
ment in either, except a full wreath of red and white 
feathers much soiled, in alternate bunches over the fore- 
head and temples of the Taua. They quite amused us, 
in expressing the fears they had entertained on seeing us 
approach, fully believing, as they said, that " like Opotee 
we were coming in war only." This persuasion was the 
greater, from a ruse de guerre practiced on them by the 
Happahs. These last, after learning from the captain 
that he should visit the bay of Oomi, though only for 
purposes of peace, sent a messenger to the Typees to 
excite a panic through our means, if they could secure 
nothing more effectual, by spreading the intelligence that 
Opotee's ship was coming up to attack them by water, 
while they and the Tayehs were to fall upon them by 
land. In consequence of this rumor, they had been 



MAEQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 257 

busily engaged in throwing up a breastwork of stone 
across the front of the valley, which they pointed out, as 
some little defense, in case of our invasion. After mak- 
ing known these impressions and fears to the captain, 
and expressing their joy at finding them groundless, they 
said : " Now all is right, you come in peace ; have brought 
Moana our king with you ; and our valley and all it con- 
tains is yours. Yourself and ship's company may land 
at any time in perfect safety, and take whatever you 
please." 

" ' Captain Finch then fully explained to them his 
views, in the manner he had already to the other chiefs ; 
and urged on them the importance of following his 
advice, instead of continuing to shed the blood of their 
fellows, and of devastating each others' valleys. At every 
sentence, they, with great animation and seeming pleas- 
ure, exclaimed — " motaki ! motaki ! " It is good — it is 
right; adding, "but you are the only chief that ever 
talked to us in this manner and gave us such advice. 
This is the first ship in which we were ever told that it 
is wrong to fight ; with Opotee it was all fight ! " He 
told them that whatever others might have thought it 
necessary and expedient to do, war was one of the 
greatest of evils ; and pointing to the heavy guns of 
our battery, to the muskets and cutlasses, battle-axes 
and boarding-pikes of our well-guarded ship, assured 
them that all this array was not designed to promote 
bloodshed and war, but to secure peace, both at home 
and abroad. 

" ' They manifested great intelligence and deep interest 
in the subject ; and, as argument after argument was 
pressed upon them, with an earnestness that elicited the 
closest attention, and a disinterestedness that proved 
itself to them to be sincere, my own feelings became 
deeply enlisted. The scene exhibited was one of no 



258 MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

ordinary character ; a captain of a vessel of war, in tlie 
cabin of his Imttle-ship, surrounded by chieftains and 
warriors stained with each other's blood, unfolding the 
miseries attendant on the prosecution of violence and 
war ; and importuning them to friendship and lasting 
peace, while they hung on his lips, seemingly- with the 
delight of children listening to' a new-told tale. 

" ' So highly were the Typees pleased, and so com- 
pletely was their confidence won, that they voluntarily 
proposed to sleep on board the Vincennes, that they 
might be in readiness to escort us on shore in the morn- 
ing ; and show us every attention in their power.' Places 
were prepared for them, but owing to the strong winds 
which swept down upon the ship from the eastern hills, 
no one passed a very agreeable night. 

" At ten o'clock they went on shore ; the high-priest, 
the civil chieftain, the Prince Moana, and the chaplain 
accompanying the captain in his gig, and many of the 
other officers, with a guard of marines, following in the 
first and second cutters, all in official dress ; ' and,' says 
Stewart, ' observing as much ceremony as we should in 
attending a court in Europe. This,' he remarks, ' might 
be thought by many unnecessary, and out of place, in 
the visit of an hour to one of the most uncivilized tribes 
of the South Seas ; but, when viewed in connection with 
its circumstances and design, it evidently was not only 
proper, but decidedly advisable. 

" ' We early had direct proof of the wisdom of this 
determination,' he adds, ' and of the capacity of these 
savage chieftains rightly to appreciate the dress and 
etiquette of a ceremonious visit, in comparison with a 
common-place and informal call, in the disappointment 
and chagrin openly expressed by the Taua of Taioa, 
because the parties visiting his valley and people went 
in the undress suitable for a picnic, and not in the dis- 
play in which he had first met us at Tieuhoy.' " 



MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 259 

" Oh, bother ! " exclahned Eugene, " let them put on 
all the fuss and feathers they like ; but do get them safe 
on shore." 

u Yery good," smiled the Professor. " ' The beach,' 
he says, ' was not much thronged when we landed ; 
great numbers of the men being on board the Vincennes 
with cocoanuts and different articles for barter, while 
crowds of females covered the rocks abreast of her ; and 
could not make their way to the place of landing as 
rapidly as we did. The Taua conducted us to his house, 
a few hundred yards in the rear of the stone-wall across 
the front of the valley. It is a large building of the 
usual construction, darkened by the thickness of the 
groves overhanging it, and the luxuriance of the various 
growth within its inclosures. Here, upon their own ter- 
ritory, and within one of their own dwellings, surrounded 
by their wives and children and in presence of the officers 
of our party. Captain Finch chose again to enforce on 
them the various advice previously given, before distribut- 
ing the cloth, calicoes, iron implements, and so forth, 
brought on shore for the purpose. They reiterated their 
cordial approbation of his sentiments; said they were 
good, and such as no other person had ever suggested 
to them ; that they would gladly make peace with the 
other tribes, and be happy to dwell hereafter in harmony 
and friendship. 

" 'They admitted the practice of stealing from other 
tribes victims to offer in sacrifice; and excused them- 
selves by saying that the Happahs and Tayehs were 
guilty of the same outrage against them. In answer to 
the direct question, whether it were true that they did 
eat the bodies of their enemies, and of prisoners taken in 
battle, they without a moment's hesitation declared posi- 
tively and repeatedly that they did. On expressing our 
horror at such an abomination, they said they would do 



260 MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

SO no more ; and the Taua added, that he would interdict 
the sacrifice of human victims at his death, so that there 
need be no occasion then for the inhuman crime of man- 
stealing. 

" ' Ascertaining that there was a meae or temple in the 
immediate vicinity, after finishing the convessation we 
walked to it. The principal building was empty, but 
strewed with the fragments of different vegetable offer- 
ings ; while in a smaller house adjoining, there were 
three rudely carved idols similar to all we had before 
seen, except that one was a Janus Bifrons, the first 
double-faced god we have met. 

" ' The thick and heavy groves of bread-fruit, overtopped 
by the more lofty cocoanut, and the rankness of all the 
undergrowth, entirely intercepted the air from the sea- 
side ; and finding the walking wet and unpleasant, and 
the heat very oppressive, we soon prepared to rejoin our 
boats. 

" ' On emerging from the thickets, we found the change 
from the damp and heated atmosphere within, to the 
freshness of a delightful sea-breeze on the beach, so 
grateful that we stopped half an hour under the shade of 
a clump of the hibiscus, the better to enjoy it ; and soon 
had a subject for contemplation in the crowds of both 
sexes and of every age, which gathered round in all their 
rudeness, to gaze and admire, and express their good will 
in noisy exclamations and merriment. The variety in 
admirably modeled figures, in costume and savage orna- 
ments, thus presented, would have made a desirable 
study for a master. I busied myself in seizing the out- 
lines of some of the most striking objects, till our boats 
were called in from beyond the surf. 

" ' Our departure afforded another interesting sketch. 
As we lay upon our oars, after gaining the smooth water, 
waiting the safe embarkation of the whole suite, we had 



MARQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 261 

a full and beautiful view of the semi-circular beach sweep- 
ing round the bottom of the bay, with its richly topped 
groves and overhanging mountains. Many hundreds of 
the islanders covered the shore ; some entirely naked, 
many nearly so, while others appeared in war-caps of 
feathers playing gaily in the breeze, and in tufted tur- 
bans and other fanciful head-dresses, below which their 
mantles of various hues floated gracefully about their 
limbs ; all mingled in one living mass, from children still 
in their mother's arms, to withered dames of three-score 
years and ten, and veteran warriors with snowy locks 
and fleecy beard, seeming to need the spears they held 
for staves to support the decrepitude of their tottering 
frames, rather than as weapons of defense against an 
enemy. Among them might here and there be dis- 
cerned the glittering buttons, epaulets, and laced hat of 
an oflficer thickly thronged ; or the less expensive but 
gayer uniform of a marine, affording a strong contrast to 
the wild islander, with his tattooed skin, savage orna- 
ments, unlanced spear, and war club tufted with the hair 
of enemies slain by him in battle. 

" ' It was one of the most characteristic and novel 
scenes we had witnessed at the island ; and fixed our 
gaze till we had nearly reached the ship. 

" ' In the afternoon,' he says, ' I went on shore again, 
intending to spend an hour in sketching ; but a friendly 
native, whom I had seen in the train of a chief in the 
morning, urged me to go with him up the valley, to see, 
as he expressed it, " the country of the young king 
Moana ; " and notwithstanding the terrific character given 
us of the Typees, I committed myself to his guidance, 
and walked a mile and a half or two miles inland. The 
valley is watered in its whole length by a pure and lively 
stream; and everywhere exhibits the same richness of 
soil and heavy growth seen on the beach. Judging from 



262 MAEQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

the number of dwellings, it must contain a large popula- 
tion ; though from the ship it appears very contracted in 
its boundaries. I saw two houses only that seemed of a 
religious character, one a burial-place with the shrines 
and bier of the dead, adjoining a building containing, as 
usual, three idols ; and the other a taboo-house of some 
person of distinction, on an elevated platform, at the 
corners of which were two images of stone, green with 
the moss which time had spread over them. 

" ' The Tahua, or dancing-ground, about a mile from 
the shore, is as regular and well built as that in the 
upper valley of the Happahs ; and one of the dwelling- 
houses near is larger, more neatly built and ornamented, 
than any seen, either at Tieuhoy or Taioa. I stopped 
to take a drawing of it, much to the amazement of the 
people around, and to their seeming admiration, when, 
on showing it to them, they recognized the sketch, and 
probably undeffetood, in some degree, the design in 
taking it. 

" ' After having crossed the mountain torrent several 
times, on the back of my kind and attentive guide, and 
gone the distance mentioned, a native overtook us, Avalk- 
ing rapidly and talking loudly and angrily with my 
companion, without noticing anything said by me. The 
latter immediately manifested some uneasiness, and said, 
" Let us return." On asking why, the only answer I 
could get was: "Let us go to the sea-side," — and taking 
me by the hand he hurried on. Though many we met 
exchanged a friendly " aloha " with me on passing, with 
as much kindness as usual, I perceived from the sour and 
angry looks of others, that all was not right; and was 
confirmed in the belief, as a large, fierce-looking fellow, 
seated between the stone images at the taboo-house men- 
tioned, scowled on me like a demon, without taking the 
least notice of my salutation. All the explanation I 
could get from the guide was, ^^Kahino ! " '■'■It is had ! " as 



MAEQUESANS, THEIR HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 2(33 

he hastened me forward, in evident apprehension till we 
came in sight of the ship, and to the beach, where the 
boat had already arrived, and those on shore were begin- 
ning to assemble.' " 

" What was the trouble, I wonder ? " asked Eugene, 
with interest. 

" Ah ! that is more than I am able to tell you," 
answered the Professor : " and more than the chaplain 
could tell you, either; for he says, in conclusion: ' I have 
not yet learned the cause of . anxiety expressed by my 
conductor, or of the manifest ill will exhibited by many 
met on our return.' " 

" That 's all he has to say, then ? " exclaimed Eugene, 
in some surprise. 

" Oh, no ; he mentions the bay of Oomi, and has much 
to say of the beautiful valley of Hakapaa. He also gives 
an interesting account of a visit to Tana-tini, the Prophet 
of the Happahs, in whose favor all the officers were very 
much prepossessed." 

" Let us hear — " 

" Sail ho ! " rang out the clear voice of the lookout 
forward. 

" Where away ? " called the Captain, as he hastily left 
the quarter-deck. 

" Almost dead ahead, sir." 

" Can you make her out ? " 

" Not yet, sir." 

The Captain took the glass offered him by Mr. Cook, 
and ran up the ratlines of the foremast. 

Presently the lookout exclaimed : 

" I make her out now, sir ; a schooner, and American 
built." 

" You 're right, Rawdon," said the Captain, in a tone 
of satisfaction ; " that's the conclusion I had come to," 
and descending to the deck, he hastened to rejoin his 
passengers. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

CORALS — ATOLLS. 
"""T 'S a schooner ahead of us ?" said Eugene, eager- 



I 



ly, as the Captain approached. 

" Yes," was the answer, " and American built, as I am 
sure the Rover was." 

" And you think it may be her ? " 

" I am confident it is." 

" Then," cried Eugene, now all ' excitement, " let us 
overhaul her in short order." 

" We shall not be long in doing that," smiled the Cap- 
tain. " There 's nothing in these waters that can get 
away from the Albatross ; certainly nothing that depends 
on the wind alone for motive power." 

But none the less, the chase now became an exciting 
one ; and all eyes were fixed upon the schooner, as they 
drew nearer and nearer. 

At length the Albatross showed her colors, and signaled 
that she wanted to speak the other vessel. 

Almost immediately the schooner raised the stars and 
stripes, and hove to. In a short time the two vessels 
were within speaking distance. 

" What schooner is that ? " called Captain Bradford, 
through his trumpet. 

" The Columbia of Portland ; Simpson, master," came 
back the answer. 

" Where from and where bound ? " was the next ques- 
tion. 

" From San Francisco to the Samoas," was the reply. 

(264) 



CORALS — ATOLLS. 265 

"Have you seen anything of the schooner Rover; 
Thompson, master ? " asked the Captam. 

" No," returned Simpson ; " but gammed with the Ma- 
ria Watson, of New Bedford, yesterday, and she had just 
parted company with her." 

" What did the Watson learn ? " 

" That the Rover was from the Galapagos last, and 
bound to the Marquesas, and from thence to the Low 
Archipelago." 

" The Low Archipelago ! " exclaimed the Captain and 
his passengers, in a breath. 

"Why, yes," answered the master of the Colmnhia, 
in some surprise ; for the yacht and schooner were now 
so near each other that all that was said on board one 
could readily be heard on board the other. Then think- 
ing it his turn to question, he asked. 

" What steamer is that ? " 

" The Albatross, a pleasure yacht ; Bradford, master," 
was the reply. 

" Ah ! I 've heard of you," said the other, quickly, 
" you 're hunting for a man lost somewhere in this broad 
ocean." 

" Exactly. Can you help us to find him ? " 

" Perhaps. Where are you bound now ? " 

" To the Marquesas." 

"Well, after that try the Low Islands, and then 
Tahiti." 

" I think that 's very good advice." 

" But," said Simpson, suddenly, " I 'm thinking you '11 
get in to the Marquesas ahead of your game." 

"Ah!" rejoined Captain Bradford, "we had thought 
it more than likely." 

"Well, then," pursued the mcster of the Columbia, 
" wait there awhile ; and I reckon, if you keep up the 
waiting and searching long enough, you '11 find your 
man at last," 



266 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

" It 's to be hoped so," responded the Captain, and as 
nothing more was to be learned from the schooner, the 
two vessels parted company. 

The information obtained', while it was not all they 
could have wished, was quite enough to turn the cur- 
rent of thought wholly toward Lyman Pierpont and the 
chances of falling in with him during the next day or so. 
A sharp lookout was therefore kept up, and a liberal 
reward promised to the man who should be the first to 
report the Rover ; but day after day went by, and not a 
single vessel was seen ; nothing of importance occurred, 
until at last the brothers were almost startled to learn 
that Uahuga was in plain sight from the quarter-deck. 

With what interest they viewed this beautiful isle, the 
reader can easily imagine. They longed to stop there 
for a little while, but the Captain was anxious to reach 
the bay of Tieuhoy ; and so they steamed steadily on, 
and at four o'clock in the afternoon dropped anchor near 
the very spot where the Essex, and later the Vincennes, 
had laid. 

They were not obliged to go on shore that night in 
ordet to obtain information ; for the Albatross was speed- 
ily overrun with natives of both sexes, and even a few 
Frenchmen, including the representative of the French 
government, were among the visitors. 

Of course nothing had been seen or heard of the 
Rover; the steamer had outsailed her, and it was decided 
that the best plan was to remain quietly at anchor until 
the schooner should come in. 

The brothers were well satisfied with this decision, 
and promised themselves a week, at least, of unalloyed 
pleasure. 

The run on shore commenced with the next morning. 
The Professor, the Captain, and Seth Cook, helped to 
make up the party. Mr. Morgan remained with the 



CORALS — ATOLLS. 267 

j^acht, to be on hand in case the Rover should unexpect- 
edly come into the bay. 

Hardly had the little party landed when they were 
accosted by an American gentleman named Clark, who, 
for a year or more, had made the island his home. He 
greeted them cordially, invited them to his house, and 
afterwards acted as their guide and interpreter during 
their extended excursion through the island. 

They everywhere found the country and people very 
much as Stewart had described them. Eugene, in ' par- 
ticular, was disappointed in not being able to discover 
more signs of advancement among the natives ; but this 
lack of progress, Mr. Clark emphatically declared to be 
due, in a great measure, to the pernicious influence of 
the French, He said that, whereas the influence of the 
Americans, and particularly the American missionaries, 
and those sent by them from the Hawaiian Islands, had 
been for good, that wherever the islanders had come in 
contact with the French, even with their priests, the 
influence had all been the other way. He said it was a 
sin and a shame that France, with her loose ideas of 
morality and right, should have been permitted to gain 
such a foothold as she possessed in the fair islands of 
the Pacific ; and he blamed the United States and Eng- 
land very much for having suffered it, by apathy on the 
part of the foi'mer, and from selfish motives in the case 
of the latter. 

The end of the week found the little party among the 
Typees and their ancient allies of the valley of Hannahow. 
They had enjoyed their visit here very much, and were 
just preparing to return to Tieuhoy by another and more 
circuitous route, when a native messenger was announced. 

He had come with all speed, and brought a letter from 
Jasper Morgan. It was very brief, and ran as follows : 

" The Rover arrived an hour ago ; she is now lying at 



268 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

anchor in the bay. Have seen 'George Thompson;' he 
is not communicative. Return at once ; no telling how 
long the schooner will remain here. 

" Yours, in haste, MORGAN." 

The Captain and his party, without loss of time, set 
out on the return journey. They did not take the route 
they had previously decided upon, but followed the same 
path Porter and his men had trod more than seventy 
years before. But although they exerted themselves to 
the utmost, it was far into the night when they at last 
reached the Tieuhoy valley, and saw Mr. Morgan and a 
boat's crew on the beach waiting for them. 

" Make haste ! make haste ! " cried the first mate, 
impatiently ; " the Rover left her anchorage more than 
an hour ago." 

" Left more than an hour ago ! " echoed the brothers, 
in dismay. 

" Yes ; and it was only with the greatest difficulty that 
I was able to learn that she has gone to Uapoa." 

" You are sure of her destination ? " asked Captain 
Bradford, eagerly, as he sprang into the boat. 

" Yes," answered the mate, as he made room for the 
other members of the party ; " I paid liberally for the 
information." 

" I don't understand," said the Professor, mildW. 

" Why," explained the mate, " Thompson disposed of a 
part of his cargo to the French official here, and I sus- 
pected he would know where the Rover had gone with 
the rest. I went to him. Money will do anything with 
these Frenchmen. He knew what I wanted to learn, and 
I bought the secret." 

By this time they were all seated in the boat; and 
having bid Mr. Clark a warm but hurried good-bye, the 
sailors pulled away for the j^acht. 

Steam was already up, and once on board, the anchor 



CORALS — ATOLLS. 269 

was raised, and the beautiful vessel glided swiftly out of 
the bay. 

Uapoa was but twenty miles to the south, and they- 
soon came up with it ; but now arose a difficulty : It was 
too dark to distinguish the coast line, much less a small 
vessel lying in any of the sheltered coves. Then, too, 
there were some dangerous reefs to be avoided. There 
was nothing for it but to wait for daylight. They might 
just as well have remained in Tieuhoy Bay. 

It was an anxious night. The Professor and his 
companions blamed themselves very much for having 
remained away from the yacht so long and taking the 
risks they did. But there was no help for it now, and 
they could only hope to see the schooner in the morning. 

Morning came, with Uapoa plainly in sight, but no 
signs of the Rover. Slowly they steamed round the 
island. Still no Rover. They visited the other islands 
in the cluster, with no better success ; and then returned 
to Nukahiva. The schooner had not been there. They 
sailed to the southern cluster ; and having landed on 
Hiwaoa and learned that no vessel had been seen there 
for some time, went to the neighboring islands, but could 
hear nothing of the missing schooner. 

" I have it ! " said Eugene, at last. " The Frenchman 
took Mr. Morgan's money, and then lied to him. The 
Rover is now in the Low Archipelago, — among the 
* Cloud of islands ' ; and the question is, how shall we 
find him?" 

"I believe you're right," exclaimed Mr. Morgan, 
quickly; "the Frenchman lied," 

" Yes," said the Captain, in a thoughtful way ; " the 
Frenchman has purposely misled us. For some reason Mr. 
Lyman Pierpont does not want an interview with us." 

" That's evident," exclaimed Eugene ; " and where could 
he more effectually lose himself than in Paumotou ? " 



270 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

" Nowhere," returned the Captain ; " but we must do 
our best to find him among the coral islands, and if we 
fail, we must go to Tahiti and wait for him there." 

This course being decided upon, the yacht was headed 
for the Low Archipelago ; and gradually their disappoint- 
ment was forgotten in the interest awakened by the 
thought that they were now rapidly approaching myriads 
of the ever- wonderful coral isles. 

After a day or two they met with bad weather, and were 
forced to confine themselves for a good part of the time 
to the cabin. One morning the Professor entered the 
saloon and found Captain Bradford and the brothers 
bending over the table, apparently absorbed in some 
branch-like objects they were examining. 

" What have you there that seems to interest jou so 
much ? " he asked, as he advanced toward them. 

" Specimens of coral, the Captain was showing us," 
answered Chester ; " and fine ones, too, some of them." 

The Professor took a branch in his hand. 

" Ah ! this is indeed a beautiful specimen," he said ; 
" a worthy daughter of the sea." 

" Daughter of the sea ! " repeated Eugene. " That 's 
what the name implies, isn't it?" 

" So it is held by some Greek scholars," was the 
answer; "and certainly it is an appropriate designation." 

"That's true; and see what a variety the Captain has." 

" Yes ; the number of species is very great, and the 
variety of forms and hues is almost endless. In their 
native element many of them rival in beauty the finest 
flowers." 

"And yet," said the Captain, as he examined a peculiar 
specimen, " I suppose it is nothing more than limestone, 
after all." 

" Carbonate of lime constitutes the principal chemical 
ingredient of coral," rejoined the Professor. 



CORALS — ATOLLS. 271 

" I must make such a collection as this," said Eugene, 
enthusiastically; "and I suppose right here in the Pacific 
is the place to do it." 

" Yes ; it is in the Pacific and Indian Oceans that the 
coral formation is most important," said the Professor ; 
" but many kinds are found along the American coasts 
of the Atlantic, especially about the West Indies and 
Florida — which, with its reefs, is based upon coral, — 
and along parts of the coast of Brazil, where the reefs 
■ are very dangerous to navigation." 

" Then there 's the red coral of the Mediterranean," 
suggested Chester. 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " the red coral of the 
Mediterranean and Red Seas is among the more remark- 
able kinds, and is of considerable value in the manufac- 
ture of ornaments. Then there is the still more valuable 
black coral ; the millepora, and others." 

" The miUepora is produced by acalephs, and not by 
polyps, I believe ?" said Chester. 

"You are right," answered the Professor, with a 
pleased expression ; " and I am glad you show so much 
interest in the subject." 

" I don't see how one can help showing and feeling an 
interest in it," exclaimed Eugene. " To my mind the 
study of corals is full of interest." 

" It is, indeed ; and the more we study, the more 
interested we become." 

" At one time these stony products of the sea were 
supposed to be plants, were they not ? " asked the Cap- 
tain, as he held up a tree-like branch. 

" Yes, and naturally," said the Professor ; " for their 
growth very much resembles the productions of the 
garden." 

" And some writers even claim that the name is derived 
from a Greek word signifying a growing plant, do they 
not ? " asked Eugene. 
13 



272 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

" It 's very likely," was the reply ; " indeed, it 's not 
difficult to make out a genealogy for a word, and prove 
its descent from the Greek or Latin, as you please." 

" These branches are perfect imitations of the forms of 
trees and shrubs," remarked Chester, indicating several 
rare specimens he had been examining. 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " and the brilliant hues 
of the blossoms that once crowned them, made beautiful 
the gardens in the depths of the sea." 

"If I remember rightly," said Chester, "the naturalists 
were rather reluctant to give up the plant theory ? " 

" They were, indeed." 

" Who was the first to advance an opinion that the 
coral blossoms belonged to the animal and not the vege- 
table kingdom ? " asked Captain Bradford, 

" A Neapolitan naturalist, Ferrante Imperato, in 1599. 
But his theory attracted little attention until 1751, when 
Peysonnel came to his support in an elaborate memoir, 
which he sent to the Royal Society." 

" How were his views received by the naturalists ? " 

" Coolly enough ; even Reaumur pronounced his paper 
too absurd to be discussed." 

" But I should think some of them would have given 
it a little attention," said Eugene. 

" Ah," rejoined the Professor, " but you see, as a cer- 
tain writer puts it, ' the power of vegetation to produce 
stately forests and the minutest plants was familiar to 
the naturalists. To ascribe still greater power and elabo- 
rate skill to " poor, helpless, jelly-like animals " seemed 
like an insulting demand upon their credulity.' " 

" I see ; and how long did the controversy continue ? " 

"Through the greater part of the last century. As 
the writer whom I have just quoted, says : ' The coral 
animals were shown in form resembling blossoms, send- 
ing forth their petal-like tentacles in series around the 



CORALS — ATOLLS. 273 

mouth, and drawing. into this their prey. Still Linngeus 
would admit their possession only of a nature intermedi- 
ate between plants and animals, and the word zoophyte 
(Greek ^Ciov, animal, and (pveiv, to grow like a plant) was 
applied by him to the organic bodies, with reference to 
their supposed relation to both kingdoms." 

" The word is still in use with naturalists, is it not ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Certainly," was the reply ; " it is used as a distinctive 
term for the division of animals in which the sponges 
are included." Then, after a pause ; " The whole com- 
pound animal mass produced by budding is called by 
Professor J. D. Dana, of Yale, a zoothome (Greek ^Cjoi', 
animal, and (jxofioc, a heap, you remember, Chester), and 
the single animal is called by him a polyp." 

While he was speaking, the Captain had hurried away. 
He now returned with a large book open in his hand. 
This he handed to the Professor, at the same time indi- 
cating a passage with his finger. 

" Ah, very good," exclaimed the palaeontologist, as the 
words caught his eye, " this is quite a propos. Listen, 
young gentlemen," and he read : • 

" ' Coral is the stony frame which belongs to these 
animals '— the polyps, you understand — ' as a skeleton 
belongs to an individual of the higher orders of the 
animal kingdom. It is called by Professor Dana the 
corallum, and the coral of a single polyp in the mass is 
called a corallet. It is formed within the mass of them 
by animal secretion, each individual adding to the com- 
mon structure, not by actual effort directed to this 
purpose, but by the involuntary secretion of calcareous 
matter. Hence it will be seen that corals are not, as 
formerly supposed, the products of the labor of the coral 
animals, but are the results of a growth analogous to 
that of the bones in other animals. A single polyp of 



274 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

the genus astrcea, for instance, has a disk above sur- 
rounded with tentacles, like the actinia or sea anemone, 
to which it is closely allied ; the mouth at the center of 
the disk opens into a stomach, and is the passage for the 
food and for the exit of refuse matters. Below and 
around the stomach space is divided radiately by a series 
of pairs of fleshy plates, the larger of which extend 
from the stomach to the sides of the polyp. The coral 
is secreted between the plates of these several pairs, as 
well as through the tissues ; and hence comes the radiate 
character of the interior of the cells over the surface of 
a coral, that is, the star-like interior of each corallet. 
The material of the coral ' — as the Captain has already 
said — ' is carbonate of lime, or the same that constitutes 
limestone, and it is taken by the polyp from the sea-water 
or from its food.' " 

The Professor here took up a piece of branching coral, 
and as he touched the several tips, said : 

" In the living state, each of these little prominences 
was the interior of a separate flower-like polyp. Exam- 
ine them carefully, my young friends." 
They did so ; and presently Eugene asked : 
" How are the polyps reproduced. Professor ? " 
" Besides producing eggs and young like other ani- 
mals," was the reply, " coral polyps generally multiply 
also through a process of budding which is closely like 
growth by buds in the vegetable kingdom. Listen," and 
again turning to the book, he read : 

" ' A new polyp commences as a mere prominence on 
the side of an old one ; soon the mouth and tentacles 
appear ; then both continue growing, each adding to the 
calcareous accumulation within, and each sending forth 
new buds to be developed into new polyps. According 
to the manner in which the buds develop the mass 
receives its shape. In some species they branch out 



CORALS — ATOLLS. 275 

into tree-like forms from the buds putting forth laterally. 
In many species of the madrepore family each branch 
terminates in what is called the parent polyp, this term- 
inal polyp continuing to grow on and at the same time 
making new polyps for the sides of the branch by the 
process of budding. In a few species of other kinds 
each polyp forms a separate branch, at the termination 
of which it is seated ; at these extremities the growth 
goes on, while the stem below is left behind, dead. Other 
species, in which the polyps form massive corals, put 
forth the yomig polyps in the spaces which are produced 
between the older ones as these extend upward, or they. 
make new ones by a subdividing of an old polyp ; thus 
keeping the hemispherical form symmetrical, till in a 
single astrsea dome a diameter of even twelve feet has 
been attained, and the polyps, each occupying a square 
half inch only, have increased to more than 100,000 in 
number. Many polyps are of still smaller dimensions. 
A porites of the same size should contain, according to 
Prof. Dana, more than 5,500,000 individuals. The genus 
is often met with over the coral reefs, in rudely shaped 
hillocks sometimes measuring twenty feet across.' 

"He then speaks of the brain coral, — of which there 
is a fine specimen before you, Chester, — and after men- 
tioning the star coral and one or two other species, he 
refers to Prof. Dana, who says : 

" ' Some species grow up in the form of large leaves 
rolled around one another like an open cabbage, and cab- 
bage coral would be no inapt designation for such species. 
Another foliated kind consists of leaves more crisped and 
of more delicate structure, irregularly grouped ; lettuce 
coral would be a significant name. Each leaf has a sur- 
face covered with polyp flowers, and was formed by the 
growth and secretion of these polyps. Clustered leaves 
of the acanthus and oak are at once called to mind by 



276 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

other species ; a sprouting asparagus bed by others. The 
mushroom is here imitated in very many of its fantastic 
shapes, and other fungi, with mosses and lichens, add to 
the variety. Vases of madrepores are common about the 
reefs of the Pacific ; they stand on a cylindrical base, 
which is enveloped in flowers when alive, and consist of 
a network of branches and branchlets, spreading grace- 
fully from the center, covered above with crowded sprigs 
of tinted polyps. The actinige may well be called the 
asters, carnations, and anemones of the submarine gar- 
den ; the tuliipores and alcyonia form literally its pink 
beds ; the gorgoniee and militseas are its flowering twigs ; 
the madrepores its plants and shrubbery ; and astraeas 
often form domes amid the grove a dozen feet or more 
in diameter, embellished with green or purple blossoms 
which stud the surface like gems, wdiile other hemi- 
spheres of meandrina appear as if enveloped in a net- 
work of flowering vines.' 

" ' Over the surface of all these corals,' the writer then 
goes on to say, ' each depression is the site of a polyp ; 
and the radiated form of this cell corresponds in its 
plates to the similar structure of the animal. As young- 
polyps are produced, they communicate for a time or 
permanently with the parent stock, through the internal 
cavity, in some species each having in the early period of 
growth nothing externally to mark its separate existence 
but the new mouth and incipient tentacles. In a living- 
polyp, the tentacles are expanded and made rigid by 
injection with sea-water. When disturbed, the water is 
ejected, the tentacles contract and disappear beneath the 
margin of the disk which is rolled inward over them, and 
conceals also the mouth. In many even of the larger 
corals the living portion is but a thin outer part of the 
mass, the rest having become dead by the drying up of 
the tissues as growth went on. The various forms of 
coral are produced by as many species of polyps.' " 



CORALS ATOLLS. 277 

"And they are widely distributed, I should judge," 
remarked Chester, 

" Yes," said the Professor ; " and this very writer says : 
' Among the tribes of corals, some species or other are 
found in all oceans from the equator to the polar regions, 
and to the lowest depths explored by man. But the 
range of individual species and families is limited by the 
physical conditions of light, heat, pressure, etc., appro- 
priate to their organization. Those tribes which produce 
the great coral reefs, as the astraeas, madrepores, mean- 
drinas, etc., are developed with peculiar luxuriance in 
the warmest parts of the Pacific, where the temperature 
varies from 75° to 85° ; but they are also found in waters 
the temperature of which during the coldest winter 
months does not fall below 68°, and in other oceans 
and seas.' " 

" What are the limits of coral reefs, Professor ? " asked 
Eugene. 

"This authority says, 'Two isothermal lines of 68°, one 
north, the other south of the equator, near the parallel of 
28°, but varying therefrom according to the marine cur- 
rents and the vicinity of continents, will include all the 
growing coral reefs of the world.' " 

" The higher the temperature, the greater is the pro- 
fusion and variety of the coral reefs, I suppose," said 
Chester. 

" Exactly." 

"What is the range in depth of the reef-forming 
corals ? " asked Eugene. 

" It appears to be limited to one hundred and twenty 
feet," answered the Professor; "and comparatively few 
are found below half that depth." 

" But," exclaimed Eugene, " coral is often found extend- 
ing from a few feet to hundreds and even thousands of 
feet below the surface of the sea," 



278 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

" That is true, and various theories have been advanced 
to account for it, but they have all been rejected, and the 
explanation first offered by Mr. Darwin is now very gen- 
erally adopted by the scientific world." 

" And just how does Mr. Darwin account for it, Pro- 
fessor ? " 

"His theory, which, by the way, is supported and 
more fully developed by Professor Dana, is, that the 
bottom of the ocean where atolls are found has been for 
ages slowly subsiding, while the coral reef has ^J^^* passu 
been growing up. Hence, as this writer saj^s, while the 
living coral has never existed more than fifty or one 
hundred feet below the surface of the water, the coral 
rock, the product of former ages, exists at immeasurable 
depths. The dead corals and shells of the coral seas 
become ground up by the waves as they sweep over the 
reef, and thus the beds of coral debris are made which 
"become by consolidation the coral reef rock." 

" I wonder how Darwin first came to think out the 
origin of the atoll," mused Eugene. 

" Dana says the Gambler group, near the Paumotous, 
whither we are now bound, gave him the first hint. ' The 
contrast,' he says, ' and, at the same time, the resem- 
blance, were striking,' and I agree with him that the 
conclusion was natural and most happy." 

" Had any one else noticed the resemblance ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Captain Beechey, in his ' Voyage in the Pacific,' as 
Professor Dana points out, implies it when he says of 
the Gambler group, which he surveyed, ' It consists of 
five large islands and several small ones, all situated in 
a lagoon formed hy a reef of coral, and Balbi, the geo- 
grapher, as Darwin remarks, describes those barrier reefs 
which encircle islands of moderate size by calling them 
atolls, with high lands rising from their central expanse." 



CORALS — ATOLLS. 279 

" The whole theory, as set forth by Darwin and Dana, 
is very fascinating," said Chester. 

" It is indeed," assented the Professor. Then turning 
to the Captain : " Have you a copy of Dana's ' Corals and 
Coral Islands ' in your collection ? " 

" Certainly," was the reply ; " I'll get it for you," and 
stepping across the saloon, he took the volume from its 
place, and returning, handed it to the Professor. 

Opening the book at the section treating on Lagoons 
of atolls, and calling their attention to a sketch of the 
Gambier Islands, and another illustrating the origin of 
atolls, the Professor said : 

" These give us an excellent idea of how reefs and 
atolls are formed." 

" Yes," exclaimed Eugene ; " and as the author says 
of the first, ' The very features of the coast of the in- 
cluded islands, — the deep indentations, — are sufficient 
evidence of subsidence to one who has studied the char- 
acter of the Pacific Islands ; for these indications corres- 
pond to valleys or gorges formed by denudation, during 
a long period while the island stood above the sea.' " 

" Now look at the other sketch," said the Professor. 
" It shows the manner in which a further subsidence 
results in producing the atoll. When the islets have 
sunk out of sight, the ring or barrier-reef remains, leav- 
ing nothing within but the lagoon of the new atoll." 

" I see," said Eugene. Then turning abruptly to his 
brother : " Chester, what have you there ? If it 's any- 
tliing interesting, let 's know it." 

" Oh," responded Chester, " it's only a clipping from 
the San Francisco Oall. I came across the paper at 
Callao." 

"Does it treat on the subject under consideration ? " 
asked the Professor. 
13* 



280 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

" Yes, sir, and confirms the views of Darwin and Dana." 
" Then let us hear it, by all means." 
Thus admonished, Chester read as follows : 
" ' Captain Herandeen, a mariner, who has spent years 
in sailing the restless Pacific, related to a reporter, a few 
days ago, facts that he had oliserved, which tend to prove 
the theory set forth by Professor Dana, that there is an 
immense area of the Pacific Ocean bed, lying under the 
equator, about 6,000 miles in length and about 2,000 in 
breadth, that has been gradually sinking lower and lower 
for thousands of years, till now land that once was lying 
in the sun and washed by waves is buried in fathomless 
depths. The following is the interesting story told by 
the captain : 

"'There is ample evidence that a vast area in the 
central Pacific Ocean, now sunk far deeper than the 
fathom line goes, was once above the surface of the sea, 
and most probably inhabited by a race of people far 
superior in intelligence and civilization to the Polyne- 
sians and Kanakas who now dwell on the rocky islands, 
which in former times were the tops of mountain peaks. 
An immense area of the ocean bed has been sinking for 
thousands of years, and the character of the people who 
have lived in that region of the world seems to be sink- 
ing lower and lower as the land subsides. The first 
thing that called the attention of scientific men to this 
great fact was the formation of the innumerable atolls 
and barrier-reefs in that part of the Pacific Ocean. They 
found on the outskirts of this area that there were islands 
fringed with coral reefs. As they sailed past these beau- 
tiful islands they saw other islands with a barrier circling 
them. A coral reef, a few feet below the surface of the 
water, girdled the island at a distance from it varying 
from a half mile to thirty miles, and whose presence was 



CORALS — ATOLLS: 281 

marked by a ring of snowy foam made by the breakers. 
As they penetrated further into the region of the sea 
they came upon atolls, which are formed by circles of 
coral inclosing a smooth sheet of water. These lagoons 
were found to vary in diameter from thirty miles, or 
more, to only a few feet ; but corals do not build their 
reefs at a greater depth than about one hundred feet, and 
yet, by sounding these singular reefs in the Pacific Ocean, 
it was found that the coral reached as far as the fathom 
line went. The conclusion of scientific men, was, that 
the bed of the ocean was gradually sinking, and that the 
corals began to build fringing reefs on the islands, and 
as the land sank, the corals kept steadily at work, build- 
ing up as fast as the land went down. As the island 
disappeared the fringing reefs became atolls or circles 
of coral, inclosing a calm lagoon. It was found that 
the reefs below one hundred feet are dead, and it is 
inferred that at a lower depth than that, the corals were 
killed by cold. This is the generally accepted theory in 
regard to the subsidence in the Pacific. 

" ' But there is other evidence which is more interest- 
ing, because it relates to the decay of a great race of 
people that once inhabited this region. A few years ago 
I stopped at Ponynipete Island, in the Pacific, in east 
longitude 158° 22' and north latitude 6° 50'. The island 
is surrounded by a reef, with a broad ship channel 
between it and the island. At places in the reef there 
were natural breaks, that served as entrances to the 
harbors. In these ship channels there were a number 
of islands, many of which were surrounded by a wall of 
stone five or six feet high, and on these islands there 
stood a great many low houses, built of the same kind of 
stone as the walls about them. These structures seem 
to have been used as temples and forts. The singular 



282 CORALS — ATOLLS. 

feature of these islands is that the walls are a foot or 
more below the water. When they were built they were 
evidently above the water and connected with the main- 
land, but they have gradually sunk until the sea has risen 
a foot or more around them. The natives on the island 
do not know when these works were built ; it is so far 
back in the past that they have even no tradition of the 
structures. Yet the works show signs of great skill, and 
certainly prove that whoever built them knew thoroughly 
how to transport and lift heavy blocks of stone. Up in 
the mountains of the island there is a quarry of the same 
kind of stone that was used in building the wall about 
the small islands," and in that quarry to-day there are 
great blocks of stone that have been hewn out ready for 
transportation. The natives have no tradition touching 
the quarry ; who hewed the stone, when it was done, or 
why the work ceased. The natives are in greater igno- 
rance of the great phenomena that are going on about 
them than the white man who touches at their island for 
a few hours for water. There is no doubt in my mind 
that the island was once inhabited by an intelligent race 
of people, who built the temples and forts of heavy 
masonry on the high bluffs of the shore of the island, 
and that as the land gradually subsided these bluffs 
became islands. They stand to-day with a solid wall of 
stone around them, partly submerged in water.' " 

" All very true," commented the Professor ; " but the 
good mariner gives us nothing new, as I can see." 

" What ! " exclaimed Eugene, " did you know about 
the stone structures he mentions — temples and forts, 
he calls them ? " 

" Yes, and I have made myself somewhat familiar with 
the curious canals, and the remarkable walls and ruins 
on Kusaie or Strong's Island." 



CORALS — ATOLLS. 



283 



" Canals and ruins ! " exclaimed Eugene ; " I never heard 
of them. Tell us something about them, Professor." 

" With pleasure, my young friend ; but not to-day. 
See, the steward is impatient to get possession of this 
table. We have been so interested in corals and atolls 
that we have failed to note the flight of time." And so 
the little party broke up. 







FEATHER APRON. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

KUSAIE — COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

THE next morning, when they were again assembled 
in the saloon, Eugene gently hinted to the Professor 
that they would be glad to take up the subject they were 
considering when disturbed the day before. 

" Let me see," said the Professor, musingly ; " we were 
speaking of the canals, and curious walls and ruins on 
Kusaie, I believe." 

" Yes, sir ; you were just going to tell us about them." 

" I should like it much better if you could see them for 
yourselves ; however, I will try to give you some idea of 
the mysterious wonders." Then, after a pause : " Kusaie, 
one of the Caroline Islands, as perhaps you know, is 
entirely surrounded by a coral reef, varying from a few 
rods to more than half a mile from the shore. Through 
the reef there is the usual opening, in this case quite one 
hundred yards wide, giving passage to ships of the largest 
size. The main island is large — some thirty miles in 
circumference, and on the north side the shore forms a 
deep lagoon. In front of this lagoon is a small island, 
which extends from one extreme point of the bay to the 
other, being separated on the western side from the large 
island by some three or four hundred feet of shallow 
water, of not sufficient depth to admit the passage of a 
vessel of any size, and this is bordered by the reef. The 
channel is on the eastern side of the small island. 

" The king and a large number of his people, including 
the more important chiefs, reside on the small island, for 

(284) 



KUSAIE — COMPLETED ATOLLS. 287 

what good reason I am not prepared to s&j. But on this 
island there are a great number of canals, cut through in 
all directions, and at high tide of sufficient depth to float 
the largest canoes. These canals, as well as some of the 
more important roads, are walled up from fifteen to thirty 
feet high. The walls are exceedingly well built, and are 
from six to ten feet in thickness. Immense stones, many 
of them weighing several tons, may be seen in the walls, 
and that, too, at quite a distance from the ground." 

" That 's very strange, and seems to bear out Captain 
Herandeen's idea of a superior race having inhabited 
these islands, — or continent, as it may have been," said 
Captain Bradford. 

"Yes; there is something very suggestive about these 
walls and canals," returned the Professor. 

" Don't the natives pretend to know anything about 
them ? " asked Eugene. 

" No ; and the more intelligent of them say that the 
oldest traditions they have give no account of them 
whatever." 

" But they must have some idea — some theory as to 
how they came there." 

" A very convenient one ; they say the evil spirit built 
them for his own use." 

" Are there any other wonders on this island ? " asked 
Chester, who was also greatly interested. 

" Yes," answered the Professor ; " there are what 
appear to be the ruins of an extensive building. It is 
surrounded by a massive stone wall, six or eight feet 
high, on all four sides, with but a single entrance, which 
is reached by a flight of stone steps. Within this is a 
second wall, somewhat smaller, but similar to the first ; 
and on ascending several more steps, a level space paved 
with large, flat stones is reached. In the center of this 
last there are two square pits, about twenty feet deep, 
walled up with stone in a workmanlike manner." 



288 KUSAIE — COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

"And of these interesting- ruins the natives know no 
more than they do about the canals, I suppose ? " said 
Eugene, impatiently. 

" No," rejoined the Professor ; " if you ask them, they 
will only tell you it is the work of the Devil, and that is 
all the satisfaction you will be able to get from them." 

" I think I could guess nearer than that," said Cai> 
tain Bradford, who had listened to the Professor with a 
thoughtful air. 

" Ah, you have a theory ! " exclaimed the palaeontolo- 
gist, " I should be glad to hear it." 

" It is only this," returned the Captain : " Look at the 
chart and note the position of Kusaie. Well, it seems to 
me that at one time it may have been the stronghold of 
a community of pirates, and if so, that would explain 
everything that seems mysterious now." 

" Hum," mused the Professor ; " you may be right. 
Certainly, there are indications that point that way." 

"Then the admirable situation," the Captain went on; 
" the almost perfect harbor, with its narrow entrance, in 
which a vessel might readily be wholly shut out from 
view at sea ; the mild and salubrious climate ; all these 
combined would render it a most desirable rendezvous." 

" But it does n't seem possible to me," objected Eugene ; 
" for liad pirates held possession of the island, it could n't 
have been so very long ago, and the present inhabitants 
would have some knowledge of them through tradition, 
at least." 

" They ought to, Eugene," said the Professor ; ' " but 
after all the Captain's supposition is not so very improba- 
ble. It is well known that this ocean, years ago, was 
infested by swarms of Chinese and Malay pirates, and 
these very natives bear a striking resemblance to the 
Malays." 

" Then you assume that in a comparatively short time 
they have forgotten their ancestors and their calling ? " 



KUSAIE — COMPLETED ATOLLS. 289 

" It would not be so very strange if they hav-e. Most 
of the able-bodied men may have sailed away on some 
plundering expedition, leaving only the women and chil- 
dren, and perhaps a few infirm old 'men at home, and 
their vessels may have been captured or lost; and so, 
the children growing up without large vessels, and, it 
may be, without the means to make them, were forced to 
give up their fathers' trade, and in the course of time 
lost all remembrance of their piratical sires." 

" I acknowledge the force of your argument, and con- 
fess that you have nearly converted me to the Captain's 
theory." Then turning abruptly to the commander of 
the Albatross : " Captain, you must manage in some way 
to give us a glimpse of Kusaie." 

" I presume it can be done without any very great diffi- 
culty or loss of time," was the reply, after a moment's 
consideration. " And to tell the truth, I should like 
very much to see the place myself ; I never have been 
there." 

" That 's a little strange, is n't it ?" 

" Yes ; but it has happened so." 

While the others were talking, Chester had taken up 
the book the Professor had laid down. Now he said : 

" Here is an explanation — in fact, the answer to a 
question I have asked myself more than once of late, 
and that is, how do certain coral islands become nearly 
circular in form and filled in ? " 

" Read it," said the Professor. And Chester, comply- 
ing, read : 

" ' One obvious result of its continuation ' — that is, 
the subsidence of a coral island, you understand — ' is a 
gradual contraction of the lagoon and diminution of the 
size of the atoll, owing to the fact already noted, that 
the detritus is mostly thrown inward by the sea. The 
lagoon will consequently become smaller and shallower, 



290 COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

and the outline of the island in general, more nearly- 
circular. Finally, the reefs of the different sides may 
so far approximate by this process, that the lagoon is 
gradually obliterated, and the large atoll is thus reduced 
to a small level islet, with only traces of a former de- 
pression about the center. Thus subsidence aids detritus 
accumulations in filling up the lagoon ; and as filled 
lagoons are found only in the smallest islands, such as 
Swain's and Jarvis's, the two agencies have, beyond 
doubt, been generally united.' " 

"I am glad you read that," said the Professor, ap- 
provingly, " now let us hear the next paragraph or two. 
I think they will tell us something about dead reefs and 
barrier-reefs that it will be well for us to know." 

Chester continued : 

" ' This subsidence, if more rapid than the increase 
of the coral reef, would become fatal to the atoll, by 
gradually sinking it beneath the sea. Such a fate has 
actually befallen two atoll-formed reefs of the Chagos 
group, in the Indian Ocean, as stated by Darwin ; a 
third has only " two or three very small pieces of living 
reef rising to the surface," and the fourth has a portion 
nine miles long, dead and submerged. Darwin calls 
such reefs dead reefs. The southern Maldives have 
deeper lagoons than the northern, fifty or sixty fathoms 
being found in them. This fact indicates that subsid- 
ence was probably most extensive to the south, and per- 
haps also most rapid. The sinking of the Chagos Bank, 
which lies further to the south, in nearly the same line, 
may therefore have had some connection with the sub- 
sidence of the Maldives.' " 

" I think there is no doubt about that," remarked the 
Professor. " But go on." 

" ' In view of the facts which have been presented,' 
Chester continued, 'it appears that each coral atoll 



COMPLETED ATOLLS. 291 

once formed a fringing reef around a high island. The 
fringing reef, as the island subsided, became a barrier- 
reef, which continued its growth while the land was 
slowly disappearing. The area of waters within finally 
contained the last sinking peak. Another period, and 
this had gone — the island had sunk, leaving only the 
barrier at the surface, and an islet or two of coral in the 
enclosed lagoon. Thus the coral wreath thrown around 
the lofty island, to beautify and protect, becomes after- 
ward its monument, and the only record of its past 
existence. The Paumotou Archipelago is a vast island 
cemetery, where each atoll marks the site of a buried 
island. The whole Pacific is scattered over with these 
simple memorials, and they are the brightest spots in 
that desert of waters.' " 

" Very beautifully expressed, and very true," remarked 
the Professor, in a commendatory tone. 

" Here is something about the completed atoll," ob- 
served Chester, glancing his eye down the page. 

" I should like to hear that," said Eugene. 

" You can read it for yourself," laughed his brother. 

" No ; let us enjoy it together," said the Professor, and 
without further demur Chester read : 

"'The atoll, a quiet scene of grove and lake, is admira- 
bly set off by the contrasting ocean. Its placid beauty 
rises to grandeur when the storm rages, and the waves 
foam and roar about the outer reefs ; for the child of the 
sea still rests quietly, in unheeding and dreamy content. 
This coral-made land is firm, because, as has been already 
explained, it is literally sea-horn, it having been built out 
oL sea-products, by the aid of the working ocean. And 
so with the groves : they were planted by the waves ; and 
hence the species are those that can defy the encroaching 
waters, and meet the various conditions in which they 
are placed. The plants therefore take firm hold of the 
soil, and grow in all their natural strength and beauty. 



292 COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

" ' Only an occasional coral island has a completely 
encircling grove, and is hence a model atoll. But the 
many in which a series of green islets surround the 
lagoon are often but little less attractive, especially when 
the several islets present varied groupings of palms and 
other foliage. To give perfection to the coral island 
landscape there ought to be, here and there, beneath the 
trees, a pretty cottage or villa, and other marks of taste 
and intelligence ; and now and then a barge should be 
seen gliding over the waters. As it is, the inhabitants 
are swarthy and nearly naked savages, having little about 
them that is pleasant to contemplate ; and their canoes, 
with a clumsy outrigger to keep them right side up, as 
well as their thatched huts, are as little in harmony as 
themselves with nature's grace and loveliness. 

"'Where the islets of a coral reef are heaped up blocks 
of coral rock, blackened with lichens, and covered with 
barely enough of trailing plants and shrubs to make the 
surface green in the distant view, the traveler, on landing, 
would l)e greatly disappointed. But still there is enough 
that is strange and beautiful, both in the life of the land 
and sea, and in the history and features of the island, to 
give enjoyment for many a day. 

" ' The great obstacle to communication with a majority 
of atolls, especially the smaller, is the absence of an 
entrance to the lagoon, and hence of a good landing- 
place. In that case landing can be effected only on the 
leeward side, and in good weather ; and best, when the 
tide is low. Even then the sea often rolls in so heavily 
over the jagged margin of the reef, that it is necessary 
for the boat to take a chance to mount an in-going wave 
and ride upon it over the line of breakers, to a stopping- 
place somewhere on the reef or shore-platform. 

" ' Less easy is the return through the breakers, espe- 



COMPLETED ATOLLS. 295 

cially if the sea has risen during the ramble ashore. The 
boat, in order to get off again, would naturally take one 
of the narrow channels or inlets indenting the margin of 
the reef. But, with the waves tumbling in one after 
another, roughly lifting and dropping it, as they pass, 
and with barely room between the rocks for the oars to 
be used, there is a fair chance of its being dashed against 
the reefs to its destruction, or thrown broadside to the 
sea and swamped under a cataract of waters. If another 
boat with its crew were lying at the time off the reef, a 
line, carried to it through the surf by an expert swimmer, 
might prove a means of rescue ; — and so, one day, we 
safely reached our ship. To those approaching such a 
shore in a boat, prudence would give the advice — first, 
drop, some distance outside of the breakers, a kedge or 
anchor, for aid both in landing on, and leaving, the reef. 
But the bottom off a coral island is often bad anchoring: 
ground. And then, if the kedge thus planted holds firm, 
in spite of the jerking waves, well and good. If not — '" 

"Ah! if not — " exclaimed Captain Bradford, drawing 
in his breath. 

"You know what a slip would mean. Captain," said 
the Professor, gravely. 

" Indeed, I do," was the answer. 

"It would mean, I suppose," said Eugene, "that the 
poor fellows in the boat would never get back to their 
ship alive." 

"That's pretty near the truth," assented the Captain. 

" I 'm afraid, Chester," said his brother, " we shall have 
to be careful if we attempt to land on any of the Low 
Islands we are now approaching." 

" I would strongly recommend it," said the Professor. 

" Well, what does Dana say next ? " asked the Captain. 

" He mentions Fakaafo or Bowditch Island," answered 
Chester. 



296 COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

" That is the easternmost of three small atolls, between 
the meridians of 171° and 172J° west, and a little south 
of the equator," said the Captain. 

" And two hundred miles north of the Samoan group," 
added the Professor. 

" Exactly," said Chester. 

" Well, what does he say about it ? " asked Eugene. 

" In another place, I notice, he says it is the type of a 
large part of the coral islands. ' The bank and reef,' he 
remarks, ' has only here and there emerged from the 
waves and become verdant ; in other portions the reef is 
of the usual height, — that is, near low-tide level, — 
excepting a few spots elevated a little by the accumula- 
tion of sand.' Then, in the passage before me, he says : 
* This island and the two others near it were among the 
few, perhaps the last, examples that remained until 1810, 
of Pacific lands never before visited by the white man. 
The people, therefore, were in that purely savage stale 
which Captain Cook found almost universal through the 
ocean in the latter part of last century. A few words 
respecting our reception at this coral island, may not, 
therefore, be an improper digression. 

" ' The islanders knew nothing of any other land or 
people — an ignorance not surprising, since the lagoons 
of the group have no good entrances, and a nation cannot 
be great in navigation or discovery without harbors. As 
a consequence, our presence was to them like an appari- 
tion. The simple inhabitants took us for gods from the 
sun, and, as we landed, came with abundant gifts of such 
things as they had, to propitiate their celestial visitors. 
They, no doubt, imagined that our strange ship had 
sailed off from the sun when it touched the water at 
sunrise or sunset, and any child among them could see 
that this was a reasonable supposition. The king, after 
embracing Captain Hudson, as the latter states in his 



COMPLETED ATOLLS. 297 

journal, rubbed noses, pointed to the sun, howled, moaned, 
hugged him again and again, put a mat around his waist, 
securing it with a cord of human hair, and repeated the 
rubbing of noses and the howling ; and the moment the 
captain attempted to leave his side, he set up again a 
most piteous howl, and repeated in a tremulous tone : 
" Nofo hi lalo, mataJcu au,^' " Sit down, I am afraid." 
While thus in fear of us, they showed a great desire 
that their dreaded visitors should depart ; some pointed 
to the sun, and asked by their gestures about our coming 
thence, or hinted to us to be off again. 

" ' But with all their reverence toward their mysterious 
guests, they became after awhile quite familiar, and took 
advantage of every opportunity to steal from us. Our 
botanist gave his collecting-box to one of them to hold, 
and, the moment his back was turned, off the native ran, 
and a hard chase was required to recover it — a most 
undignified run on the part of the celestial. 

" ' While the men wore the maro, the equivalent of 
tight-fitting breeches, six inches or less in length, the 
women were attired in a simple bloomer costume, con- 
sisting solely of a petticoat or apron, twelve to eighteen 
inches long, made of a large number of slit cocoanut 
leaves, and kept well oiled. Besides this they had on, 
as ornaments, necklaces of shell or bone. The girls and 
boys were dressed au naturel, after the style in the 
garden of Eden. These primitive fashions, however, 
were not peculiar to the group, being in vogue also in 
other parts of the Pacific' 

" In a beautiful grove of cocoanut trees, the sacred or 
public house of the island is situated — ' a well-made 
structure,' he says, ' measuring fifty feet by thirty-five, 
in length and breadth, and twenty feet in height. In 
front of the building stands the deity of the place, con- 
sisting of a block of stone fourteen feet high, enveloped 



298 COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

in mats ; and also near by, a smaller idol, partially cov- 
ered with matting.' Here and there are young cocoanut 
palms — usually more beautiful objects than the full- 
grown trees. 

"As a set off against the geographical ignorance of 
these islanders, the Professor remarks, that Captain Hud- 
son and the best map-makers of the age knew nothing 
of the existence of Bowditch Island until he discovered 
it; and from him comes the name it bears, given in 
honor of the celebrated author of ' Bowditch's Naviga- 
tor ' as well as of the translation of Laplace's ' Mecanique 
Celeste.' " 

" Wilkes says of these people that they are all finely 
formed, and are manly in appearance, with pleasing 
countenances that express good nature," observed the 
Professor, presently. 

" Yes, I remember," assented the Captain ; " and he 
says they wear eye-shades and ornaments, and are curi- 
ously tattooed." 

"Ah, yes; very much after the manner of the Duke 
of York islanders," rejoined the Professor. 

" That island is not far distant from Bowditch or 
Fakaaf o, is it ? " asked Eugene. 

" No ; it is just to the north," answered the Captain ; 
"and in "Wilkes's time was subject to Fakaaf o." 

" I suppose it is similar in size and general appearance ?" 

" It is much smaller, being only three miles in length, 
and not more than two and a half miles wide in its 
broadest part. It is a lagoon island, and, of course, of 
coral formation. The islets that have been formed on 
the reef are eight or ten feet above the water, and are 
covered with cocoanut and pandanus trees." 

" The inhabitants, I infer, are very like their neigh- 
bors, in habits and disposition." 

" They are said, in general, to be very shy, especially 



COMPLETED ATOLLS. 299 

of white men," answered the Captain; "but some of 
them, I am told, display confidence and boldness in the 
presence of strangers." 

" Do they live together, or scattered over the island ? " 

" They live in villages, on the inner or lagOon side of 
the island, one of which contains some forty houses, 
which are raised a foot or more above the surrounding 
earth. They are of oblong shape, about fifteen feet high 
to the ridge-pole, sloping gradually, and of a convex 
form to within two or three feet of the ground ; the roof 
is supported on high posts, while the lower part rests on 
short ones, three feet within the eaves, having a strong 
piece extending around, on which the rafters are tied ; 
the gable-ends are over-topped by the roof, and seem 
necessary to protect them from the weather. Below the 
eaves, the whole are open from the ground to the roof. 
The thatching, made of pandanus leaves, is of great 
thickness, and put on loosely. The interior of the 
houses are very clean, but there is no furniture except 
a few goards, and a reclining stool, cut from a solid 
block of wood, having two legs at one end, which in- 
clines it at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees. This 
stool they consider a great luxury. 

" The most remarkable constructions of the islanders 
near the principal village, is several small quays, five or 
six feet wide, and two feet above the water, forming slips 
about ten feet wide. At the end of each of these is a 
small house, built of pandanus leaves, partly on poles 
in the water. These appear to be placed for securing 
their canoes, and keeping their fishing implements, which 
are of the greatest importance to them." 

" Who discovered the island," asked Eugene, turning 
to the Professor. 

"It was discovered by Byron, in 1765," was the 
answer; "but he supposed it to be destitute of inhab- 
itants, and so reported it." _ 
13 



300 COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

" What name do the natives give it ? " 

" They call it Oatafu." 

" I like that better than the Duke of York's, and there- 
fore shall use it." 

"The Duke of Clarence Island is in the immediate 
neighborhood, I believe," remarked Chester. 

" It is only a few miles distant," said the Professor. 

" It is larger than the Duke of York's." 

" Yes ; it is almost seven and a quarter miles long, and 
five miles wide. It is of a triangular shape." 

" A great many of these coral islands are uninhabited, 
are they not ? " asked Eugene. 

" Yes," answered the Professor ; " and for my part, 
I confess, I have always been fascinated by Wilkes's 
description of his visit to one of them." 

" Tell us about it, Professor," exclaimed Eugene, 
eagerly. 

" The island was Henuake, Houden, or Dog Island, 
one of the Paumotous," said the Professor, " and they 
came up with it about noon. ' The boats,' remarks 
Wilkes, ' were at once dispatched, in order to ascertain 
if a landing could be effected, and the ships began the 
surveying operations. The number of birds seen hover- 
ing over the island was an indication that it was not 
inhabited, which proved to be the case. Several turtles 
were caught, and a number of specimens obtained. The 
survey of the island not having been completed, we lay 
by all night, and early in the morning dispatched boats 
to complete the examination of it, and to effect a land- 
ing. The greater part of the day was spent on the 
island. 

" ' The landing on a coral island,' he then says, 
' effectually docs away with all preconceived notions of 
its beauty, and an}^ previous ideas formed in its favor are 
immediately put to flight. That verdure which seemed 



COMPLETED ATOLLS. 30l 

from a distant view to carpet the whole island, was in 
reality but a few patches of wiry grass, obstructing the 
walking, and offering neither fruit nor flowers to view ; 
it grew among the rugged coral debris, with a little sand 
and vegetable earth.' " 

" Nothing fascinating about that, as I can see," said 
Eugene, in a disappointed tone. 

" No ; but wait a little," returned the Professor, and 
then continued : 

" ' The principal trees and shrubs are the pandanus, 
boerhaavia, and pisonia. It is somewhat surprising that 
a few trees, forty or fifty feet high, should have found 
sufficient soil to protect their growth. Most of the trees, 
however, are of stunted size, being not more than ten to 
fifteen feet in height, and eighteen inches in diameter. 

" ' The number of birds on the island was incredible, 
and they were so tame as to require to be pushed off 
their nests to get their eggs. The most conspicuous 
among them was the frigate-bird ; many of the trees 
were covered with their nests, constructed of a few 
sticks. The old birds were seen, as they flew off, inflat- 
ing their blood-red pouches to the size of a child's head, 
and looking as if a large bladder were attached to their 
necks. The gannets, sooty terns, and the beautiful 
tropic-bird, were in countless numbers ; the former 
guarding their eggs (which were laid on the ground 
without a nest) with care, remaining by them, and even 
suffering themselves to be captured without resistance. 
Their hoarse croaking was quite deafening. 

" ' Some droll sights were seen of crabs walking off 
with snakes, and both again seized by some stout bird 
and borne away. Armies of soldier or piratical crabs 
(^Paguri) were seen moving in all directions with their 
shells. We enjoyed ourselves much, and found no use 
for our guns, powder, and shot ; as many specimens as 



302 COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

wc could desire were taken with the hand, both old and 
young. In some cases the tropic-birds were taken off 
their nests, and from others their eggs were taken with- 
out disturbing them ; indeed, I have never seen any 
barn-yard fowls half so tame. 

" ' The various snakes, the many-colored fish, the great 
eels, enormous and voracious sharks, large mollusks, 
curious lepidoptera, and spiders, with their webs stretch- 
ing in every direction, and occasioning us much annoy- 
ance, seemed to have quiet possession ; all gave a novelty 
to the scene, that highly interested and delighted us. 
In the afternoon we returned on board, loaded with 
specimens ; and the survey being completed, we bore 
away on our course.' " 

" No wonder you were fascinated," exclaimed Eugene, 
with enthusiasm ; " and I fancy you would like a few of 
the specimens he mentions." 

" I don't deny it," smiled the Professor. 

" But I noticed he says nothing of the cocoanut palm," 
observed Chester. 

" There are nO cocoanut palms on the island," returned 
the Professor ; " nor is there any fresh water to be found." 

" And yet you speak of armies of the robber crab ! " 
exclaimed Chester. 

"Well, and what then?" 

" I thought they lived on cocoanuts, chiefly. What do 
they find to eat ? " 

" You forget the snakes." 

" True ; but I fancy there are not enough snakes to 
supply armies." 

" No ; but there are plenty of fish and young birds." 

" Do the crabs eat fish and birds ? " 

" Darwin says, in speaking of his visit to St. Paul's, an 
island, or rather a cluster of rocks in the Atlantic, near 
the equator, ' By the side of many of these nests [terns'] 



COMPLETED ATOLLS. 303 

a small jBying-fish was placed; wMch, I suppose, had 
been brought by the male bird for its partner. It was 
amusing to watch how quickly a large and active crab 
(^G-raspus), which inhabits the crevices of the rock, stole 
the fish from the side of the nest, as soon as we had dis- 
turbed the parent birds. Sir W. Symonds, one of the 
few persons who have landed here,' he adds, ' informs me 
that he saw the crabs dragging even the young birds out 
of their nests, and devouring them.' " 

" Why," said Chester, " it was from him I got the 
impression that they live chiefly on cocoanuts." 

" What does he say about it ? " asked Eugene. 

His brother picked up a book, and having speedily 
found the place, answered : 

" This is what he says : ' I have before alluded to a 
crab which lives on the cocoanut ; it is very common on 
all parts of the dry land, and grows to a monstrous 
size ; it is closely allied or identical with the Birgos latro. 
The front pair of legs terminate in very strong and 
heavy pincers, and the last pair are fitted with others 
weaker and much narrower. It would at first be thought 
quite impossible for a crab to open a strong cocoanut 
covered with the husk ; but Mr. Liesk assures me that 
he has repeatedly seen this effected. The crab begins by 
tearing the husk, fiber by fiber, and always from that 
end under which the three eye-holes are situated ; when 
this is completed, the crab commences hammering with 
its heavy claw on one of the eye-holes till an opening is 
made. Then turning round its body, by the aid of its 
posterior and narrow pair of pincers, it extracts the 
white albuminous substance. I think this is as curious 
a case of instinct as ever I heard of, and likewise of 
adaptation in structure between two objects apparently 
so remote from each other in the scheme of nature, as a 
crab and a cocoanut tree. The Birgos is diurnal in its 



304 COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

habits ; but every night it is said to pay a visit to the 
sea, no doubt for the purpose of moistening its branchiae. 
The young are likewise hatched, and live for some time, 
on the coast. These crabs inhaljit deep burrows, which 
they hollow out beneath the roots of trees ; and where 
they accumulate surprising quantities of the picked filjers 
of the cocoanut husk, on which they rest as on a bed. 
The Malays sometimes take advantage of this, and col- 
lect the fibrous mass to use as junk. These crabs are 
very good to eat ; moreover, under the tail of the larger 
ones there is a great mass of fat, which, when melted, 
sometimes yields as much as a quart bottle full of limpid 
oil. It has been stated by some authors that the Birgos 
crawls up the cocoanut trees for the purpose of stealing 
the nuts : I very much doubt the possibility of this ; but 
with the pandanus the task would be very much easier. 
I was told by Mr. Liesk that on these islands the Birgos 
lives only on the nuts which have fallen to the ground. 

" ' Captain Moresby informs me that this crab inhabits 
the Chagos and Seychelle groups, but not the neighbor- 
ing Maldiva Archipelago. It formerly abounded at Mau- 
ritius, but only a few small ones are now found there. 
In the Pacific, this species, or one with closely allied 
habits, is said to inhabit a single coral island, north of 
the Society group. To show the wonderful strength of 
the front pair of pincers, I may mention, that Captain 
Moresby confined one in a strong tin box, which had 
held biscuits, the lid being secured with wire ; but the 
crab turned down the edges and escaped. In turning- 
down the edges, it actually punched many small holes 
quite through the tin ! ' There, what have you to say to 
that ? " demanded Chester in triumph, as he threw down 
the book. 

" That 's all very well, my young friend," responded 
the Professor, quietly, " but I must inform you that the 



COMPLETED ATOLLS. 305 

robber crab (hirgus) is not the same as the hermit or 
soldier crab. I noticed yom- mistake at first, but thought 
I would lead you on a little, and so hear what you had 
to say before I set you right." 

" Not the same ! " exclaimed Chester, " why, Darwin 
says, only a few pages back, and speaking of the same 
islands, ' In every part one meets hermit crabs of more 
than one species, carrying on theii- backs the shells 
which they have stolen from the neighboring beach.' 
And you know Wilkes distinctly says, 'the soldier or 
piratical crabs were seen moving in all directions with 
their shells.'' " 

"Very true," rejoined the Professor; and yet, you 
have got two species mixed. Let me put the matter 
plainly before you : Without doubt Darwin found on the 
Keeling or Cocos Islands, of which you have just been 
reading, both the hermit and the robber crab, and, per- 
haps, other species. Now the hermit's peculiar habit of 
living in the spiral shells of mollusks is well known. 
The shells which they inhabit are often covered with 
hydroids or other foreign substances, and some species 
always have an actinia upon the shell, as Dana will tell 
you. The hind part of the body and the abdomen are 
soft, protected only by a thin integument, and the ab- 
domen is one-sided and curved spirally, so as to fit the 
shells which they always inhabit and drag about with 
them, while the legs and claws are all directed forward 
and occupy the opening of the shell. From time to 
time, as they increase in size, they exchange their shells 
for larger ones. When changing the shells, combats 
between individuals sometimes take place for the posses- 
sion of the more desirable shells, and this has given rise 
to their familiar name. Some of the species in the trop- 
ics are terrestrial, like the land crabs, and travel long 
distances from the sea and even up among mountains, 



306 COMPLETED ATOLLS. 

carrying the marine shells with them. The robber crab, 
Chester, is an enormous terrestrial crab, allied to the 
hermit crabs, I admit, but it does not inhabit shells, the 
abdomen being shorter and covered with a hard integu- 
ment. It feeds upon cocoanuts, climbing the trees, as I 
am able to state on other authority than Darwin, and 
breaks open the fruit with its claws, which, as you have 
informed us, are adapted to the purpose." 

" I give in," said Chester, decidedly ; " you have the 
best of it this time. Professor, without the shadow of a 
doubt." 

" Then, that being settled," said the Captain, " I beg 
we may stop right here for to-day," and the others acqui- 
escing, he hurried on deck. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 

THE next morning, the weather being fine, our 
friends once more sought their old places on the 
quarter-deck ; and Eugene, eager to take up the subject 
in which all were so deeply interested, before they were 
hardly seated, abruptly asked : 

"Wasn't it said yesterday that Paumotou was nomi- 
nally subject to Tahiti ? " 

" Very likely," answered the Professor. " At any rate, 
Tahiti has claimed sovereignty over the archipelago for 
years." 

" Then," said Eugene, " Tahiti, having become subject 
to Prance, I suppose that greedy nation claims Paumotou 
also." 

" Without doubt she does," rejoined the Professor. 
" She has a Catholic mission at Maugareva, and priests 
stationed here and there throughout the group. On the 
most frequented islands the natives now wear clothes of 
European fashion." 

" What is the population of the group?" asked Chester. 

" The best authorities put it at between 10,000 and 
12,000," was the answer. 

" Is it possible ! " exclaimed Eugene. " And all living 
on low coral islands ! " 

" Ah, but you must remember there is ' a cloud ' of 
them — between eighty and ninety of considerable size." 

" Which of them is the best known ? " asked Chester. 

" Perhaps Anaa or Chain Island, and then there is 
Pitcairn." 

13* (307) 



308 THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 

" Chain Island ! " exclaimed Eugene. " What have I 
heard about that? They were a warlike people, were 
they not ? " 

" They were, but are so no longer," was the answer. 

" Is it a large island ? " 

" On the contrary, it is one of the smallest, yet it is 
the most densely populated of the group." 

" How many inhabitants are there ? " 

" It is said to contain five thousand, which large 
number is accounted for by the conquest, years ago, of 
the other islands, and taking their inhabitants off as 
captives." 

" Why, it contains nearly half the population of the 
archipelago ! " 

" Yes, and I have just explained how it came about." 

" I should think they would be over-crowded. Can 
they find enough to eat, without devouring each other ? " 

" The whole island is one great cocoanut grove, and 
the principal food is fish and cocoanuts. The former are 
caught in large quantities in the lagoon. Hence, not- 
withstanding the numerous population, they have an 
abundance of food. A great change was brought about 
in the character of these islanders by the Tahitian mis- 
sionaries who settled at Anaa. Before their coming, 
the inhabitants were cannibals. Since then they have 
imbibed better tastes ; and the Christian influence has 
also made them more peaceful. This change was first 
evinced by the treatment of their captives, whom they 
permitted to return, if they chose, to their own islands ; 
but very many of them had married at Anaa, and become 
permanent residents there, and few took advantage of 
the permission to depart." 

" The Paumotouans were considered more warlike than 
the Tahitians, were they not ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes," was the answer ; " and for that reason Pomare 



THE PAUMOTOU AECHIPELAGO. 309 

I. kept a body-guard of them in preference to his own 
subjects. They have a reputation, too, for being an 
honest and trustworthy people." 

" Are they all of the same race ? " 

" They are not ; that is a settled fact. The inhabitants 
of the Disappointment group in particular differ from the 
others. They have strong, wiry beards and mustaches ; 
and strange as it may seem, greatly resemble the Fijians." 

" There are only two islands of any consequence in that 
group, or cluster, I believe ? " said Chester, inquiringly. 

" That is all : Wytoohee and Otooho. Wytoohee is 
formed of islets connected by a washed coral reef, of 
irregular shape, with a lagoon having many knolls in it, 
of various sizes, some four or five feet above the surface. 
The islanders speak, or at least understand, the Tahitian 
language, are naturally shrewd, and inclined to be peace- 
able. They spend much time upon the water, fishing. 
Their canoes are quite small, being only from twelve to 
fifteen feet in length. They generally contain two, and 
sometimes three natives. Each canoe has an outrigger, 
and a projecting point, both before and behind, by which 
they get into them from the water. They are formed of 
strips of cocoanut-wood sewed together. Two persons 
can carry tliem. Their paddles are curved backwards. 
Their neighbors on the island of Otooho, though not 
numerous, have a bad name." 

"You mentioned Pitcairn Island as one of the best 
known of the Paumotous," remarked Eugene. I was not 
even aware that it was classed with the group." 

" While in one sense it is an isle by itself, — a lone 
isle," replied the Professor, " in another it rightly be- 
longs to the archipelago, and is so classed by the best 
authorities." 

" At any rate, it is not of coral formation," persisted 
Eugene, 



310 THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 

"Certainly not; it is volcanic, and is greatly elevated, 
the highest peak being nearly 2,500 feet alcove the sea. 
Far off it looks like a desolate rock, rising steep from 
the ocean, and, indeed, it is surrounded by cliffs which 
preclude the possibility of landing except in two or three 
spots." 

" It is very small, I believe," said Chester. 

" Yes ; its extreme length is only two and a quarter 
miles, and its breadth but one mile." 

" Is it well watered ? " 

" There are a few small streams, but they are liable to 
fail at certain seasons, when the inhabitants depend upon 
water preserved in tanks." 

"It's a lovely spot, any way," exclaimed the Captain. 
" The temperature ranges between 59° and 90°, and the 
climate is remarkably healthy. The soil is rich and fer- 
tile, and the island is everywhere thickly clothed with a 
luxuriant vegetation." 

" Then, too," added the Professor, " several tropical 
fruits and vegetables are indigenous, and many others, 
together with some of those belonging to temperate 
regions, have been successfully introduced." 

" They have a variety of domestic animals, I have 
heard," said Chester. 

" All the domestic animals except the horse are to be 
found on the island, and goats are very numerous in the 
more inaccessible parts." 

" When was the island discovered ? " asked Eugene. 

" In 1767, by Carteret," was the answer. 

" He named it, I suppose," said the young- man. 

" Yes ; after one of his officers, who was the first to 
see it." 

" Pitcairn, — there was a British officer of that name 
who was killed in our War of the Revolution." 

"Yes," assented the Professor; "Major Pitcairn; it 
was his son." 



THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 311 

" The island is quite a monument to his memory," said 
Chester; "for it is not only, as you remarked a while 
ago, one of the best known of the Paumotous, but of all 
the isles of the Pacific." 

" Quite true," assented the Professor ; " and its chief 
interest is derived from the results of a great crime." 

" A crime ! I beg to differ with you there. Professor," 
said Chester, quite warmly, " I hold that Christian was 
perfectly justified in what he did. Bligh was a brute 
and a tyrant." 

" Well, well, my dear young friend, we won't dispute 
about the matter. I by no means hold Captain Bligh 
guiltless. His after life proves him all you say." 

" I have often read the story of the Bounty" remarked 
Eugene ; " but I wish you would give us the main facts. 
Professor ; just to refresh our memories." 

" The British government," said the Professor, ac- 
quiescing, " sent out the Bounty to convey plants of 
the bread-fruit tree, from Tahiti to the West Indies. 
The vessel arrived at Tahiti at the wrong season for 
transplanting, and was compelled to remain there six 
months, during which time the crew enjoyed unusual 
liberties, and formed strong attachments among the 
natives. A few days after sailing, April 28, 1789, the 
crew mutinied, and turned the captain and those who 
would not join them adrift in an open boat. Marvelous 
to relate, this boat and all on board made a safe voyage 
of three thousand miles, and landed at Timor in the 
East Indian Archipelago. The mutineers returned to 
Tahiti. Nine of them took Tahitian wives, and with 
nine other Tahitians put to sea in the Bounty and made 
for Pitcairn Island. 

" They reached the island in safety, landing at Bounty 
Bay, and destroyed their ship to avoid discovery. The 
-Tahitian men were now reduced to slavery, and made 



312 THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 

to work. Houses were built and land cultivated. For a 
time all went well ; but at length the slaves rebelled, and 
in the struggle which followed all were destroj-ed, to- 
gether with several of the whites, including Christian 
himself. 

" Within a few short years only one of the Bounty's 
men was left alive on the Island. This was John Adams. 
But he was not alone, with him were the Tahitian women, 
and twenty fatherless children, all looking to him for 
guidance. He formed a noble resolution. He became 
their instructor, and soon the children learned to love 
him, and called him father. 

" This would have been a happy time for John Adams 
but for one drawback : he always lived in fear of dis- 
covery. But no vessel of any nation touched at the 
island until 1808, when Captain Folger of Nantucket, 
while on a sealing voyage in this ocean, called there, 
supposing it to be uninhabited. He was greatly sur- 
prised therefore to see a canoe with two men of a light 
brownish complexion approach his ship, and request in 
good English that a rope should be thrown them. These 
of course, were two of Adams's pupils, and to the aston- 
ished captain they told their fathers' story. 

" Still, although the lost had been found, the English 
seem not to have heard of it ; for it was not until 1814 
that two British men-of-war entered Bounty Bay. They 
too were visited by the young islanders, and appear to 
have been as much astonished by their story as was 
Captain Folger. The young Pitcairners were generously 
entertained, and the officers accompanied them ashore. 
They found a community of forty-six persons, mostly 
grown-up young people, with a few infants. The young 
men and women were tall, handsome, athletic, and 
graceful, and their faces beamed with kindness and 
good humor. Adams assured the visitors that they were 



THE PAUMOTOU AKCHIPELAGO. 313 

strictly honest and religious, industrious, and affectionate. 
They were dressed in native cloth made from the bark of 
trees. Their houses were neat, pleasantly situated, and 
comfortably furnished. They had some useful tools and 
utensils, made out of the iron of the Bounty; and before 
leaving, the English officers gave them more. 

" The next vessel to visit the island was an American 
whaler, she had on board a serious-minded man named 
John Buffett, who was so pleased with the people that he 
resolved to remain among them and devote his life to 
their service. He became the school-master, and was 
soon a prominent personage in the community. 

" In 1825 Captain Beechey, in the English ship Blos- 
som, arrived. He spent some days on shore with several 
of his men. Almost every family entertained them, and 
they became thoroughly familiar with baked pig, sweet- 
potatoes, taro, and yams. These were cooked in holes in 
the ground, after the Polynesian manner. 

" Does n't Captain Beechey say something about their 
beds in one of his letters ? " asked Captain Bradford. 

" He says the mattresses were made of palm-leaves, 
covered with sheets of cloth made out of the bark of the 
paper-mulberry tree." 

" The people at this time were intensely religious, were 
they not ? " asked Eugene. 

" Yes ; and like wise men they were careful to keep 
holy the Sabbath-day. No work was done on that day, 
nor any boat allowed to leave the shore. And Beechey 
says of them : ' They live in perfect harmony and con- 
tentment, are virtuous and cheerful, and are hospitable 
beyond the limits of prudence.' " 

" When did good John Adams die ? " asked Chester. 

" In 1829," was the reply ; " and while the Pitcairners 
greatly mourned his loss they were not left without a 
leader. The year before, George Nobbs, who had been 



314 THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 

an officer in the Chilian service, came to live among 
them. He was a sincere follower of our Saviour, and 
a very worthy man. He married a granddaughter of 
Christian, and became the pastor, teacher, and physician 
for the islanders, who now numbered sixty-eight persons." 

" He has recently died, I believe," said Chester. 

" Yes ; at the advanced age of eighty-five, after serving 
this people for fifty-six years." 

"I am sure he was a good man," said Eugene, musingly. 

"I tell you, my young friends," rejoined the Professor, 
impressively, " his was a worthy life, and he has gone to 
a sure reward." 

" What astonishes me," remarked the Caj^tain, after a 
moment's pause, " is the indescribable charm these people 
throw around them. No sailor, however bad he may be, 
ever thinks of doing wrong there. He seems to feel the 
influence of the place the moment he touches land." 

" There is no liquor to be had on the island, I suppose," 
said Eugene. 

"No, indeed," answered the Captain; "no intoxicating 
liquors are allowed there, except, perhaps, a little for 
medicinal purposes." 

" Sensible people ! " quoth Eugene, approvingly. 

" A part of them, and, indeed, the larger part, are now 
living on Norfolk Island, are they not ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes," answered the Professor ; " in 1856 the popula- 
tion had increased to 194, and it was thought the island 
was getting over-crowded. The British government 
therefore transferred the people to Norfolk Island. Six 
families, numbering forty persons, becoming dissatisfied, 
and perhaps home-sick, have returned to Pitcairn, and 
have now increased, I hear, to 114, while the Norfolk 
Islanders number not far from 500." 

" Did Mr. Nobbs return to Pitcairn ? " asked Eugene. 

" No," said the Professor ; " he remained with the 
larger number, and died on Norfolk Island." 



THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 315 

"Has their more frequent contact with the world 
made any bad impression on them ? " asked Chester. 

" No ; they remain the same kind, true-hearted, God- 
fearing people ; and so, I trust, they will continue to the 
end." 

" Ah ! " exclaimed Eugene, " if all the islanders in the 
Pacific were only like these, one might gladly make his 
home among them, and enjoy an earthly paradise." 

" If they only were," said the Captain; " but just think 
of some of them ! " 

" We must have patience, my friends," said the Pro- 
fessor. " The good work is going on. The missionaries 
have done much here already, and are doing more now." 

" But are they, really ? " asked Eugene. " I have 
heard so many conflicting stories on that point that I 
hardly know what to believe." 

" There is not a shadow of doubt on the subject," was 
the Professor's emphatic reply. " Did n't Mr. Clark bear 
willing testimony to the fact ? and have n't our best naval 
officers spoken in the missionaries' praise ? What does 
Wilkes say, on the occasion of his visit to Raraka, just 
after leaving the Disappointment Islands ? ' Nothing,' 
he says, ' could be more striking than the difference that 
prevailed between these natives and those of the Disap- 
pointment Islands, which we had just left. The half- 
civilization of the natives of Raraka was very marked, 
and it appeared as though we had issued out of darkness 
into light. They showed a modest disposition, and gave 
us a hearty welcome. We were not long at a loss as to 
what to ascribe it to ; the missionary had been at work 
here, and his exertions had been based upon a firm foun- 
dation ; the savage had been changed to a reasonable 
creature.' 

" Then he goes on to say : ' Among the inhabitants 
was a native missionary, who had been instrumental in 



316 THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 

this work. If the missionaries had effected nothing else, 
they would deserve the thanks of all those who roam 
over this wide expanse of ocean, and incur its many 
unknown and hidden dangers. Here all shipwrecked 
mariners would be sure of kind treatment, and a share 
of the few comforts these people possess. No savage 
mistrust and fear were seen here. The women and chil- 
dren came about us, receiving our trifles. They showed 
much joy and curiosity at the sight of us, and were eager 
to supply our wants. I was particularly struck with the 
modest and quiet behavior of the native missionary, who 
was a Tahitian. He kept himself aloof, while all the 
others were crowding round to partake in the presents 
we were distributing, and seemed much gratified and 
astonished when I selected him out as the recipient of a 
present similar to the one I had given the chief.' 

" Then, as cleanliness is next to godliness, he says : 
' All the males' heads were shaven, somewhat after the 
fashion of a Dominican friar. This practice is said to 
have been adopted by the missionaries at Tahiti, for the 
sake of cleanliness, and also to distinguish the Christian 
from the heathen party. The women have theirs cut 
close, and some are clothed in a pareu, consisting of 
three or four yards of cotton, others in a loose gown. 
They were anything but good-looking ; but the men were 
tall and well made. The variety of apparel Avas droll 
enough. As for the children, I have seldom seen finer ; 
all were well formed, and as cheerful as they could be. 
They were for the most part naked. 

" ' This,' he adds, ' was the first island on which we 
observed the dawning of Christianity and civilization. 
The native missionaries, although they are yet ignorant 
of most of the duties enjoined upon a Christian, still do 
much good in preparing the way. Many learn to read, 
and some even to write, under their tuition ; yet they 



THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 317 

have many impediments thrown in the way of their 
efforts by the introduction of spirits by the whites. The 
old chief, and others, are much addicted to the use of it, 
and the vessels resorting here for the pearl-fishery gen- 
erally employ native divers, and pay them for the most 
part in rum or wliisky.' " 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the Captain, forcibly, " rum ! that 's 
the great curse here, as it is all over the world. Who 
can calculate the harm it has done, and is doing every 
day ? " 

" I fear it will never be known till the final judgment," 
said the Professor, gravely ; " and then what a reckoning 
for those who have carried on the nefarious traffic here, 
as well as for the great army whose business it is to ruin 
immortal souls in the more civilized parts of the world ! " 

" Ah, happy little Pitcairn ! " sighed Eugene. 

" Yes, happy Pitcairn," repeated the Professor, " and 
may the day soon come when all the isles of the sea 
shall follow her wise example ! 

" And now," he added, a moment later, " as I have 
some writing to do, I think I must excuse myself for a 
time." 

" But, Professor," objected Chester, " that old chief, 
you have n't told us all about him yet ; as I remember it, 
he was quite a comical fellow." 

" Yes," smiled their friend, " and during the Commo- 
dore's stay, he stuck to him closer than a brother, pro- 
fessing the warmest attachment. Having some business 
on board his ship, the Commodore invited the chief to go 
off with him ; he first inquired if all the boats and men 
were to stay, and on being informed that they were not, 
he said he would go on board if the Commodore would 
also take his wife and her brother ; to which he consented. 

" The chief had lost one hand, which had been bitten 
off by a shark, while he was employed in diving for 



'318 THE PAUMOTOU ARCHIPELAGO. 

shells. On reaching the ship, he approached the Com- 
modore in a very mysterious manner, and, untying a 
knot in the tail of his shirt, — which was the only gar- 
ment he wore besides his maro, — after much difficulty, 
with one hand and his teeth, drew from it a small, dirty 
piece of linen, tied up like a bag ; this he produced with 
great form, and evidently expected to astonish his friend. 
The contents proved to be a few small discolored pearls ; 
these he begged the Commodore to accept, but, as a 
matter of course, he declined to receive them. 

" He now ordered everything to be shown them. Their 
surprise was very great. The number of men on board 
in particular astonished them. Many presents were given 
them ; but when they were about to depart, the old chief 
complained of being very sick, and his actions showed 
that he was greatly dissatisfied. The reason could not 
be imagined. The ship had so little, motion, it was 
thought it could not originate from sea-sickness, and so, 
at last, the Commodore begged to know what was the 
matter. No answer was given for some time, but the 
chief and his friends consulted much among themselves, 
in a low tone. The question was repeated, when the 
old chief's wife explained, that the Commodore had not 
returned the present that had been offered him, and that 
her husband was not pleased ; for, according to their 
custom, the mere offering a present entitled him -to 
receive one in return. As a great many" gifts had 
been made him already, this amused the Commodore 
exceedingly. On asking what it was they wanted, they 
promptly signified whisky, which they said was always 
given them when they went on board ship ; and the chief 
wanted some, for he was very sick. Wilkes accordingly 
ordered a bottle of water with a gill of whisky in it 
to be given them, and the moment they smelt it their 
manner was changed ; they became all animation, and 
left the ship in great good humor. 



THE PAUMOTOU AECHIPELAGO. 319' 

" The brother, Wilkes says, was an intelligent native ; 
he drew with a piece of chalk, on the deck, with consid- 
erable accuracy, all the islands he was acquainted with, 
giving their relative situations and the native names. 
He located Taiara, and Yincennes Island, which he called 
Kawahe. He informed them of three small islands to 
the southward of Sacken, which were afterwards found 
by the Porfohe ; his knowledge of the western part of 
this group was quite surprising." 

" Raraka is quite a large island, is it not. Professor ? " 
asked Chester. 

" It is nearly of the shape of an equilateral triangle, 
and is fifteen miles on each side. Its southern and east- 
ern sides are formed by a submerged reef." 

" Then it must have quite an extensive lagoon." 

" It has ; Wilkes attempted to sound it, beginning at 
the entrance, but he found, within a very short distance, 
that the depth increased to thirty fathoms, the water 
being as blue as that of the ocean. The depth being so 
great he was forced to give up the undertaking. 

" What did he find so far as he went ? " asked the 
Captain. 

" The sounding, in every case of any depth, was coral 
sand." 

" I suppose," said Chester, " The Commodore did n't 
get away from Raraka without quite a scene with the old 
chief." 

"You are right," smiled the Professor, "the leave- 
taking was decidedly amusing. The chief with all his 
household and retinue began to cry and whine over him, 
so that he was glad to escape from the display of so 
much friendship and parental affection." 

"The Commodore visited a vast number of these 
islands, did he not ? " asked Eugene. 

" Quite a large number," was the reply ; " but I do not 



320 THE PAUHOTOU ARCHIPELACO. 

know that it would 1)C particularly interesting to follow 
him. It may be well, however, to recall the names of 
some of the larger or more important, and among these 
are, Anaa or Chain Island, Manga Reva or Gamljier, 
King George's group, E-araka, Mauhii, which also has 
other names, Ahii or Peacock, Aratica or Carlshoff, 
Nairsa or Dean's, Krusenstern's Island, Metia or Aurora, 
Arutua or Rurick, Kawahe or Vincennes. The Disap- 
pointment Islands, Hau or Bow Island, Serle Island, 
Clermont de Tounerre or Minerva, Katiu or Sacken, 
King's Island, and Tetuaroa." 

" Tetuaroa," repeated Chester, " that island was for- 
merly quite a resort of the Tahitians." 

" Yes," said the Professor, " they retired there for the 
purpose of recovering from the bodily diseases brought 
on by their debaucheries. It is a low island, about six 
miles long, with a few trees upon it, and a reef off its 
southern end, extending half a mile. It is plainly to 
be seen from the high ridges of Tahiti." 

" Metia or Aurora Island is unlike the others of the 
archipelago," remarked Captain Bradford. 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " it is totally different 
in appearance, though evidently of the same formation. 
It is a coral island uplifted, exposing its formation dis- 
tinctly, and as such is very interesting. On approaching 
its eastern end, Wilkes sounded at about one hundred 
and fifty feet from its perpendicular cliff, and found no 
bottom with one hundred and fifty fathoms of line. The 
cliff is worn into caverns. He landed close in its neigh- 
borhood, and on measuring its height, found it to be two 
hundred and fifty feet." 

" I wish we could know more of the past of this great 
archipelago," said Eugene, regretfully. 

" Little appears to be known of the history of Paumo- 
tou or its inhabitants," rejoined the Professor. " Chain 



THE PAUMOTOU AECHIPELACO. 321 

Island, as I have before intimated, has been the principal 
seat of power, the natives of which had frequently waged 
war on the others, and succeeded in conquering all to 
the west of Hau or Bow Island, with which they have 
frequently fought. In the reign of the first Pomare, 
under Tomatiti, they even attempted the conquest of 
Tahiti, and succeeded in overcoming the small peninsula 
of Taiarabu. The story is that they were about to con- 
tinue their attack on the larger island, when Tomatiti 
received a written letter from Pomare, which caused 
hostilities to be suspended ; and, after further negotia- 
tion, finally led to Tomatiti's retiring from the island 
with a large present of hogs, tapa, and fruit. Nothwith- 
standing this, the Chain Islanders remained nominally 
under the government of Tahiti, and so continued till 
the coming of the French." 

" There is no more cannibalism among them, of 
course," said Eugene ; " and from what has been said, 
I judge they are becoming quite civilized." 

" Yes ; their intercourse with the whites, together with 
the missionary influence I have mentioned, has put an 
end to cannibalism, advanced them in civilization, and 
promoted peace among all the islanders of the group ; 
thus not only ameliorating the condition of the natives, 
but protecting the unfortunate mariner who may be 
wrecked in this dangerous archipelago." 

" It does n't seem to me that there is much chance for 
commercial enterprise here," remarked Chester. 

" Evidently the group can afford few advantages for 
trade," returned the Professor ; " the only article which 
of late years has been sought for among the islands, is 
the pearl oyster-shell, of which considerable quantities 
have been obtained. The vessels engaged in the fishery 
belong to foreigners, who reside at Tahiti. The mode of 
taking the oysters is by natives, who are employed as 
divers, for a very small compensation. It is much to be 



322 THE PAUMOTOU AECHIPELAGO. 

regretted, I cannot help repeating, that the traders 
should have recourse to the demoralizing effects of 
spirits, in stimulating their exertions." 

It was a day or two later, while the friends were still 
deep in their favorite subject, that the lookout's cry 
warned them that a coral island was in sight. 

All eagerly peered in the direction indicated, but 
could see nothing. At length Eugene caught sight of 
something he declared to be a ship, but quickly remem- 
bering the experience of others, he exclaimed, " No, it is 
not a ship, but trees!" and then with what eager interest 
they watched the isle as it seemed to grow into a thing 
of beauty before their very eyes ! 

Captain Bradford told them it was uninhabited, had 
half a dozen names, and lay some miles to the west of 
the Disappointment Islands. 

" Let us land there," cried Eugene, in his impetuous 
way. 

" It is n't worth while," replied the Captain, quietly. 
" Besides, I fear it would hardly pay for the trouble." 

" Where are you going first. Captain ? " asked Chester, 
with some show of interest. 

" To the King George's group," was the answer. 

In due time these islands were reached, and here the 
passengers went ashore. 

The islands are well inhabited, and have entrances to 
their lagoons on the west side. The native names for 
the two islands are Tiokea and Oura. The latter is 
about four and a half miles from the former. 

Nothing had been seen or heard of the Rover here, and 
after a few hours' stay, the yacht steamed to Manhii and 
Ahii. At the latter, rather unexpectedly, they obtained 
information which decided them to proceed to Tahiti 
without loss of time, and so their course was laid for that 
famous island. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 

^* "I'XT^^'^ islands shall we see now, before we reach 
V V Tahiti?" asked Eugene, when they were fairly 
under way, and the Captain had joined his guests on the 
quarter-deck. 

" We shall round the north side of Nairsa, or Dean's 
Island," was the answer ; " and while we shall doubtless 
see many small islands on either hand, it is hardly likely 
we shall get a view of any other of importance." 

" I had hoped we might visit the Cambers, and the 
Gloiichester group," said Eugene. 

" Both worth a visit, without doubt," rejoined the Cap- 
tain ; " but we are hardly likely to see them during this 
cruise." 

" Captain, have you ever been among the Gilbert 
Islands — the Kingsmill or EUice's groups?" asked 
Chester. 

" Never," was the reply. 

" I don't remember much about the Ellice's group," 
said Eugene. " It is not of any very great importance, 
is it?" 

" It is an extensive ring of small islets, situated on a 
coral reef, surrounding a lagoon. These are so far sep- 
arated as to give the idea of distinct islands, which has 
probably led to their having the name of ' group.' These 
islets are well covered with cocoanut and other trees, 
which give them a sufficient elevation to be seen at ten 
or twelve miles' distance. I am able to tell you so 
much," said Chester, " but very little more." 

14 _ (323) 



324 THE GILBERT ISLANDS, 

" You might have added, however," suggested the Pro- 
fessor, " that the reef which links the islets is a wash, 
over which the sea breaks with great violence." 

" How large is the island ? " asked Eugene. 

" It is thirteen miles long and between seven and eight 
wide," answered the Professor. 

" Can you tell us anything about the islanders ? " 

" Very little. They speak a purely Polynesian dialect, 
and understand the Samoan language. They call the 
island Fanafute." 

" How many do they number ? " 

" Not three hundred ; possibly less than two hundred 
and fifty." 

"There are other groups in the immediate vicinity," 
remarked. Chester. 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " only three and a half 
miles to the northwest are the He Pyster Islands, and a 
few miles further, Tracy's Island, which the natives call 
Oaitupu." 

" Yes," added the Captain, " and a little east of these 
is the Union group, of which Oatafu, Nukunono, and 
Fakaafo are the principal islands." 

" And now about the Gilbert group," said Chester ; 
" can't you or the Professor tell us something concerning 
that?" 

" I can tell you this much," replied the Captain ; " the 
islanders of the Gilbert or Kingsmill group are a pack of 
arrant thieves, and a blood-thirsty set of savages." 

"What, to this day?" 

" Aye, to this day ? " 

" Professor, were you aware of the fact ? " 

"Yes, unfortunately, it is but too true," was the reply. 
" In a recent publication, the Rev. Hiram Bingham, Jr., 
who is a missionary to Micronesia, and long stationed on 
Apaiang, says : ' We had hardly been in our new home 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 325 

three months, when a party of Gilbert Islanders from 
Tarawa, not far off, made an attack upon our people in a 
fleet of one hundred proas. Our king assembled his 
army about our house to await the onset, as the other 
party seemed to be coming directly towards us. They 
changed their course, however, and the battle was fought 
some six miles away. The king who had befriended us 
when we landed, was killed, but his people were vic- 
torious. 

" ' Next morning I visited the battle-ground ; and there 
I saw among the dead six women, who had helped their 
husbands in the fight. We were very sorry that so many 
had been killed ; but we were thankful that the savages 
had been driven off ; for it is quite possible that they 
might have slain us, and taken possession of our little 
house.' 

" Then, speaking of the Gilbert Island warriors, he 
says : ' Formerly this people had no guns, but fought 
with clubs and spears ; and even now they like to take 
their old weapons into battle with them, to use when 
their powder is gone. Some of the spears are armed 
with sharks' teeth, and are almost twenty feet long. To 
protect themselves they have a kind of armor, made of 
cocoanut fiber-cord. A part of this resembles a great- 
coat ; and it comes up behind their heads, to shield them 
from behind, or when they run. They also make cover- 
mgs for their legs, arms, and head, of the same material, 
and still another covering for the head, of the skin of the 
porcupine-fish.' 

" Well, I am astonished," exclaimed Eugene ; " they are 
truly a blood-thirsty, war-loving lot ; apparently not one 
whit better than they were years ago in Wilkes's time." 

" Not much, I fear," assented the Professor. 

" But wait ! " exclaimed Chester. " Isn't Apaiang one 
of the Gilbert Islands ? " 



326 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 



" Yes," answered the Professor, slowly ; " it is in the 
northwestern part of the group." 

" Then," said Chester, " the fact that an American 
missionary is stationed there, proves that all the Gilhert 
Islanders are not thoroughly bad." 

" Of course there are exceptions," said the Captain ; 
" and possibly a few of the natives of Apaiang come 
under that head." 




GILBERT ISLAND WARRIORS. 



" Possibly ? Why, you know how kindly Mr. Bingham 
was received on the island, and defended afterwards, and 
it stands to reason he must have done some good there." 

" I don't know much about it," said Eugene ; " if you 
do, I beg you will enlighten us." 

" Well," rejoined his brother, taking up a little paper- 
bound book, '^le says: 'It was on the 13th of Novem- 
ber that I climbed almost to the top of the mast, and 
caught the first sight of what proved to be, for so many 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 327 

years, our island-home. It was Apaiang, a low coral 
reef, some fifty miles in circumference, enclosing one of 
those great lagoons which I have already described. The 
highest parts of the reef were only a few feet above the 
ocean ; but on these were many cocoanut and pandanus 
trees. The lowest parts were covered with water at high 
tide. The lagoon was about eighteen miles long, six 
wide, and one hundred feet deep. The land surrounding 
it did not average more than a quarter of a mile in 
width ; but on this narrow strip, such as it was, were 
many villages. 

" ' We landed first on an islet, belonging to the western 
side, where the reef is lowest. There we found a solitary 
old man, walking among the trees. He was the first 
Gilbert Islander to receive the missionaries, who had 
come to live among his people ! On the 17th of Novem- 
ber the Morning Star entered the beautiful lagoon, and 
came to anchor near Koinawa, the king's village, on the 
eastern side'. 

" ' Next morning the king, at our request, came on 
board, and, learning something of our wishes from the 
Gilbert Islanders with us, he seemed pleased ; and, put- 
ting his hand on me, and on my lumber, he pointed to 
the shore. I took the hint, and the next day began to 
build. The house was twenty-four feet by sixteen, and 
though we took time to shingle it, much to the wonder 
of the natives, in less than two weeks it had been made 
so comfortable as to be ready for housekeeping. We 
afterwards painted it white, except the blinds, which 
were green, and put on piazzas. We called it ' Happy 
Home.' " 

" Here is a pictiire of the station," said Chester, show- 
ing the illustration, " this is ' Happy Home ' on the right. 
On the left is the house of the missionary's Hawaiian 
companion, Kanoa, It is something like the other, but 



328 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 



made chiefly of cocoaniit wood, with pandanus thatch for 
roofing. These Iniildings at the right of ' Happy Home ' 
are the kitchens. Back of Kanoa's house is the school- 




house, where the children were taught by Mrs. Bingham 
and her assistant, Kaholo." 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 329 

" Do the houses front toward the sea ? " asked Eugene. 

" No," replied his brother, " the water you see in the 
foreground is a part of the lagoon. You can just catch 
a glimpse of the sea through the opening past the school- 
house." 

" I see ; go on." 

" Well, Mr. Bingham and his companions began at 
once to learn the language, but found it slow work. 
However, they persevered, and after a time were able to 
make themselves understood, and then they began to 
preach. They would go from one village to another 
around the lagoon in their boat, in which they also took 
their provisions. 

"'A crowd of naked men, boys, and girls,' the mis- 
sionary says, ' meet us as we land ; and we go directly to 
the maneaba of the village. The people throng about us; 
and we try to teach them. As we close our eyes for 
prayer, one and another shout to those near them, '■'■Matu, 
matu!'''' (" Go to sleep, go to sleep ! ") meaning, " Shut 
your eyes." After a general commotion, in which some 
bow their faces to the ground, the prayer is offered. At 
its close, as the missionary opens his eyes, a number 
begin to shout " Uti, uti ! " ( " Wake up, wake up ! " ) and, 
with a burst of laughter, these rude worshipers sit up 
again. 

" ' I begin to preach,' he continues, ' but the leading 
man of the village may break in upon me, by asking if I 
will not take a pipe. "I never smoke," is the answer. 
Next, he may offer me some molasses and water to drink, 
or the milk of a green cocoanut. Sometimes we tell 
them that we have not come to eat and drink, but to 
teach them. It is often better, however, to stop preach- 
ing, and drink from the cocoanut, and then go on again. 
After the service we often look up the blind and sick of 
the village, and teach them in their own houses. 



330 THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 

" ' We go to the next village. Perhaps we find the 
maneaha pre-occupied. A man has died, and his body has 
been brought to the big house, and is laid out in state. 
Women sit by it, day after day, even for weeks.' " 

" Good gracious ! " exclaimed Eugene, " and in such a 
hot climate, too ! But, poor creatures, I suppose they 
feel bound to do it." 

" Yes," returned his brother, " and Bingham says : 
' Most of the time the body is covered with a mat ; and 
frequently beneath the same mat lies the dead man's 
wife, grieving over her loss. When at length the corpse 
is about to be buried, the wife often keeps his skull, and 
makes it her constant companion.' " 

" That 's an idea ! " exclaimed Eugene. " But where 
do they bury the body at last ? " 

" ' A man is generally buried under his own house,' 
the missionary says, ' and only a few inches below the 
surface of the ground ; for the people think that if there 
should be room for another corpse above him, there 
would soon he another to fill the place. Sometimes, 
however, bodies are rolled up in mats, and laid away in 
a loft of the house. 

" ' When we find the maneaha thus occupied,' he goes 
on to say, 'the friends of the deceased are usually 
willing to listen to me while I urge them to prepare 
for death. But sometimes we find the people assembled 
for a feast. If they have only cocoanut milk to drink, 
or cocoanut molasses and water, they are generally wil- 
ling to hear me speak of the land where men never 
hunger; and yet they may be very desirous to know 
what kind of food they may expect there. 

" ' If the people are drinking mang'ing (fermented 
toddy), some of them may be very noisy, and interrupt 
us while we preach to them of temperance. Wlien they 
are intoxicated, they often quarrel, and kill one another ; 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 331 

sometimes they stab themselves. When the toddy is 
first obtained from the bud of the cocoanut, which is 
cut twice a day, it is pleasant and wholesome. But if it 
is allowed to stand three or four days, it ferments and 
becomes hurtful. A great deal of it, nevertheless, is 
drunk in the Gilbert Islands ; and they need missionaries 
to teach them better. 

" ' When night overtakes us, we spread our mats on 
the ground, hang up our mosquito netting in some native 
house, and lie down to sleep. In the morning, perhaps, 
while we are eating the food which we have brought, the 
people will crowd around us, saying, '■'■Kamai teutana " 
("Give me a little piece"). If we refuse them, they 
may call us " hataoti " (stingy). But we could not give 
all of them even a little piece ; if we should, our supply 
would soon be gone. 

" ' After several days have been spent in this way, the 
tour is completed, and we spread our sail for the white 
cottage among the cocoanut trees. As we cross the la- 
goon, we enjoy an hour of rest, which is very refreshing.' 

" At length they built a small church, and had regular 
services. Here is a picture of the building as it appeared 
on Sunday mornings. They could not boast of a bell, so 
you see Kanoa is blowing a conch-shell to call the people 
to meeting. 

" This, I suppose," said Eugene, inquiringly, " is the 
missionary and his wife ? " at the same time indicating 
two figures in European dress. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " and Kanoa's wife and boy are 
just behind them." 

" And who is this gentleman, dressed out so elaborately 
in a shirt, hat, and umbrella ? " 

" That, my dear brother," laughed Chester, " is the all- 
powerful king." 

" Bless his august majesty ! And who is this sweet 
14* 



332 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 



gi)'l, SO airily attired in a feather apron and a human 
skull ? " 

" Girl ! That 's a native widow, on her way to visit 




her friends in a neighboring village. The skull was her 
husband's, and, therefore, as you heard a few moments 
ago, she always has it with her." 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 333 

" Gracious, what queer taste ! " murmured Eugene. 

" What are these people doing on the stick of timber 
under the tree ? " asked the Captain. 

" They are pressing scraped cocoanuts in an oil-press, 
to get the oil to barter with." 

" And now," continued Chester, " I want you to notice 
— particularly, Eugene — the three men who are climb- 
ing cocoanut trees in as many different ways. I'll give 
the explanation about as I get it from the missionary : 
The one at the right has notches cut in his tree, large 
enough to hold the second joint of the great toe. He 
is going after his toddy, which the islanders use instead 
of milk, as, of course, they have no cows or goats. 
The man in the middle walks up the tree in a wonderful 
way. If one of his hands should slip, he would fall, and 
most likely break his neck. The man at the left has his 
feet tied together, a few inches apart ; and while he holds 
himself away from the tree by pushing off with one arm, 
and clasping the other round the trunk, he draws up his 
feet, which easily cling to the tree by the help of the 
cord which binds them together ; and then he straightens 
himself up again. This, you remember, is the way they 
climb the trees in the Marquesas." 

" Which is the most difficult way of climbing ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" The second," was the reply. 

" This queer tree on the right is a pandanus, of course." 

" Yes ; you see its roots grow out of the trunk, and run 
off into the ground." 

" The fruit is perfectly immense." 

"You are right; they sometimes weigh forty or fifty 
pounds. When they are ripe, you can pull them to 
pieces, each piece being a separate conical seed some 
three inches long, the small end of which is fibrous, and 
contains a sweet juice. This end is chewed, and the 
juice is sucked out." 



334 THE GILBERT ISLANDS, 

" What are these great leaves, back of the chapel, 
apparently coming up out of a pit?" asked Eugene. 

" They are papai leaves ; you might take them for 
giant calla-leaves. The papai is a root which grows in 
the mud, and is sometimes as large as a half-barrel. 
The natives eat it as a great luxury." 

" These houses on the left are the residences of the 
natives, I suppose, and built after the usual style ? " 

" Yes ; and as you see, they have no sides, and the 
eaves are very low. One must stoop to enter them, but 
once inside he can see what the people are doing in the 
next house, and so on, through the village." 

" What is this little hut in the distance ? " 

" A kitchen where poor old women are compelled to 
do the cooking, half-smothered by the smoke." 

" Well, what more have you to tell us about your 
missionary ? " 

" After he had been on the island about a year, a first- 
class surf-boat was sent him, which he called the Star of 
Peace. He now resolved to visit the neighboring islands, 
especially Marakei and Maiana. He had been to Tarawa, 
the largest island in the group, in his small boat, the 
Alfred, having been towed by one of the great war-proas, 
which was bearing presents from the king of Apaiang to 
a high chief, whose two sons had been recently betrothed 
to two of the king's daughters. The other islands, how- 
ever, he could not reach. One of them he could see from 
the top of the cocoanut trees near his house ; but the 
ocean channel was more than twenty miles wide, and 
the current so swift as to make it very unsafe to venture 
across in the Alfred. The new surf-boat, then, was 
exactly what he wanted. 

" He went first to Tarawa, where he left Mrs. Bing- 
ham, and then to Maiana. On his return from the latter, 
he had a much harder time than he expected. The wind 



THE GILBEET ISLANDS, 335 

was favorable when he started, but it changed afterwards, 
and they were at the mercy of a current which was very 
strong. At sundown, Tarawa bore due east, about twelve 
miles. The wind lulled, but the sea was rough, and they 
were fast drifting to the westward. That was a fearful 
hour ! No land to the leeward for more than two hun- 
dred miles ! At length, however, by dint of hard rowing, 
they got into stiller water, under the lee of Tarawa, and 
a little after midnight, they made out to reach the island. 
They were thankful enough, as you may well believe, for 
their escape from so great a danger. 

" They had sometimes seen Marakei from the top of a 
cocoanut tree, and they longed to visit the island. Even 
as good a boat as the Star of Peace can seldom cross 
thither ; but one day everything seemed favorable, and 
the missionary and his assistant were soon under way. 
All went well for a time ; but about three o'clock in the 
afternoon a fearful squall approached. As they were out 
on a wide sea, anxious to reach, before dark, a strange 
island, with no ship channel to its lagoon. Captain Bing- 
ham kept on sail to the last moment, bidding one of his 
men ' stand by the halyards,' and let them go at an 
instant's warning. 

" At length he could venture no longer. They lowered 
and furled their sails, and had hardly seated themselves, 
when the tempest burst upon them with tremendous 
fury. As soon as it abated, they reefed their mainsail, 
and, hoisting it a little, pressed on. The sea was begin- 
ning to run wildly, and the large billows raised their 
white crests around them. The little craft had experi- 
enced no such sea as that. Suddenly a towering wave 
burst upon them, drenching them from stem to stern. 
Blinded by the spray, the missionary captain was bewil- 
dered — almost stunned. Still the little craft kept 
afloat, but the frightened crew turned to him as if to 
read their fate in his face. 



336 THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 

" ' Just at dark,' he says, ' it being difficult to distin- 
guish people on the shore, we found ourselves off a 
narrow break in the cocoanut and pandanus trees. This 
was the so-called boat channel, a fearful place, with bil- 
lows dashing their foam against the rocks. I trembled 
to enter, and would not venture myself at the helm, lest 
I should not understand the rapid commands of the pilot, 
but put my old teacher at that post, and took his oar. 
For a moment we paused, as the billows began to lift 
their crests before breaking. Two large ones passed, 
and we sprang to our oars. In the darkness, our pilot 
had " headed in " a little too soon, and in order to enter 
a gap between the rocks, not forty feet wide, was obliged 
to slant our course a little, — a most perilous feat ! For 
an instant death seemed staring me in the face. Swim- 
mer that I was, should we swamp, the chances for my 
escape were exceedingly small, as I was not accustomed 
to surf-swimming. But the blessed Master was with us. 
A small Avave took us upon its crest, and we were hurried 
through this narrow vortex in a moment's time. 
' '"But what a sight greeted our eyes the next morning! 
We found ourselves upon one of the loveliest of all the 
coral islands. About six miles in length, from one to 
three in width, and enclosing a placid lagoon on all sides 
by wooded land, with fairj^-like islets here and there, it 
lay spread out before us. The Gospel light for the first 
time now beamed upon it. We preached in all its vil- 
lages ; and more than a thousand souls heard of the way 
of life. 

" ' In passing out of this lagoon, there was quite as 
much peril as there had been in passing in. But I will 
not describe the scene. Possibly you may think that my 
zeal for ocean touring in an open boat was by this time 
slightly cooled, or, at least, that it ought to have been. 
But it is hard to see a populous island without the Gos- 
pel, and not do anything for it.' 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 337 

"111 due l"mo lio received a much larger boat — tiie 
Evenbig Star ; and in this he and his assistants visited 
other islands, preaching in all their maneahas, to large 
and curious audiences, for all wished to see and }iear the 
I-matang (foreigners). 

" Not long after this he set up a printing-press at 
Apaiang ; and after some little trouble and delay, the 
Gospel of Matthew was printed in the Gilbert Island 
language, as were several other books, and a hymn-book 
was printed in the same language at Honolulu. 

" He received a bright Gilbert Island boy into his 
family, to educate ; and tells of taking him to Ebon, 
Kusaie, and Ponape. 

" ' He thought the Marshall Islanders hideous-looking 
people,' he says, ' with their great ear-rings and knotted 
hair. Their language he called "jabber." His wonder 
at the mountains of Kusaie (for he had never seen so 
much as a hill before) was very great. I rambled with 
him through the woods and by the running streams, of 
which there are none in the Gilbert Islands ; and together 
we climbed, with great difficulty, to the top of the highest 
mountain. The story of this ascent he never wearied in 
telling his people, after his return. 

" ' One night we heard loud crying ; and we supposed it 
to come from some heathen child. The next morning 
Joseph, or, as it is written in his language, I6teba, told 
us that he had dreamed of seeing a savage cul off my 
head ; and, as he awoke, the dream seemed so real, that 
he arose, left his little house, and sat under the cocoanut 
trees at the dead of night, to give vent to his sorrow. 

" ' He often went with me on my tours to assist in 
telling the people about Jesus ; and they always liked to 
hear him. His help, too, in translating portions of the 
New Testament, was very great. He once visited Buta- 
ritari a,nd Makin, islands where I had never preached, 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 



and, gathering many of the people together, told them 
the great news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The 
journal which he kept was very interesting. After a 
time a white man gave him some liquor, and he became 
intoxicated. From that day he left us ; perhaps he is 
still wandering.' " 

" There it is again," exclaimed the Captain, impatient- 
ly: " that omnipresent curse, rum! See what it has done 
for this poor fellow." 

" Yes," said Eugene ; " and what a fiend the man must 
have been who gave it to him." 

" There are plenty of just such men," rejoined the 
Captain ; " they are to be found everywhere." 

" Unfortunately that is too true," commented the Pro- 
fessor. Then turning to Chester : " Well, have you any- 
thing more to tell us ? " 

" Only this," was the reply : " After long years of 
weary labor, during which he saw the good work growing 
under his hand, Mr. Bingham, on account of ill health, 
was obliged to leave the Gilbert Islands. It was ar- 
ranged, however, that he should go down yearly to the 
group, to give counsel and assistance, but spend the rest 
of the year at Honolulu, translating the Bible and pre- 
paring other books for the natives, and I think he is 
engaged in that work now." 

" Do you see this little pamphlet ?" asked the Professor, 
holding up a small paper-covered book for their inspec- 
tion. " Well, Chester has told you something of Mr. 
Bingham's indefatigable and self-sacrificing labors among 
the Gilbert Islanders, and here the Rev. Robert W. 
, Logan gives us a sequel to the story. You will notice 
the pamphlet is of recent date, so it gives us the present 
status of the islands and people. 

" ' The Gilbert Islands,' says Mr. Logan, ' lie on both 
sides of the equator and a little beyond the 180th merid- 



. THE GILBEET ISLANDS, 339 

ian. They are sixteen in number, with a thin soil, scan- 
ty rainfall, and limited vegetation. The cocoanut-palm 
thrives here, as well as the pandanus or screw-pine ; but 
almost nothing else which can furnish food for human 
beings. Advocates of a meager diet, as conducive to 
health, might do well to emigrate to the Gilbert Islands. 
If they survive the experiment, their testimony will be 
interesting ; possibly, however, a little " thin." The same 
language is spoken on all of these islands. The people 
are naturally hardy, savage, and quarrelsome. They wear 
very little clothing, and men were frequently seen entire- 
ly naked. The bodies of the men are often covered with 
scars, and no dandy is more proud of his rings and jewels 
than are these men of the unsightly scars which indicate 
their prowess. While not cannibals in the same sense as 
were the Fiji Islanders, yet it said that on some of the 
islands there is probably not an adult male who has not 
tasted human flesh.' " 

" Good heavens ! " murmured Chester, with a sigh. 

" And mind you, my dear friend," said the Captain, 
impressively, " this is n't written of twenty years ago, 
but of to-day." 

" Exactly," acquiesced the Professor, and then con- 
tinued : 

" ' The only water fit to drink on all coral islands is 
rain-water. Missionaries living on the Gilbert Islands 
are obliged to depend almost entirely upon foreign food, 
which is never perfectly fresh, and always preserved with 
difficulty. Rev. Hiram Bingham, Jr., with his devoted 
wife, began work here in 1857, and labored on alone, 
with their Hawaiian helpers, until 1874. Frequently 
they were obliged, in self-preservation, to flee for a season 
to a more salubrious clime ; until, at last, utterly broken 
in health, they were compelled to take up their residence 
at Honolulu, where they still continue their labors of 



340 THE GILBEKT ISLANDS. 

love among Gilbert Islanders who have been brought to 
Hawaii as laborers. The days of martyrs and heroes of 
faith are not yet past.' " 

" So he is still at Honolulu ? " said Chester, inquiringly. 

" So it would seem," answered the Professor, and then 
continued : 

"'Rev. H. J. Taylor, son of "Father Taylor" of the 
Madura Mission, — like Mr. Bingham, born in the mis- 
sion-field, — went with his young wife to the Gilbert 
Islands, in 1874, to reenforce Mr. Bingham ; but before 
she had been on Apaiang six weeks, Mrs. Taylor died of 
fever, and was buried under the cocoanut-palms. A few 
months later Mr. Bingham was obliged to flee for his life to 
Samoa, and then to Auckland. Mr. Taylor was left alone 
with his infant son. He acquired the language, won the 
confidence of the natives, and labored most effectively 
for two years, when he, too, was compelled to flee for his 
life. After some years spent in America, — having re- 
covered his health, and married again, — he returned to 
the field with Rev. A. C. Walkup and wife, only to lay 
his second wife beside her sister. And now, with his 
three motherless children, he is compelled to retire from 
the work. Mrs. Walkup's life was only saved by her 
going to Kusaie, and ultimately to her old home in Kan- 
sas. Hence the board has been constrained reluctantly 
to withdraw its missionaries from the Gilbert Islands, 
taking them seven hundred miles to Kusaie, a high, fertile 
island, the easternmost of the Caroline group. Here, 
also, the Gilbert Island youth will be brought, and, amid 
beautiful surroundings and in a much more salubrious cli- 
mate, will be trained to carry on the work among their 
people, in connection with Hawaiian missionaries.' " 

" And so now there is not a white missionary in all the 
Gilbert Islands ! " exclaimed Chester, " and the benighted 
savages are left to the sole efforts of Hawaiian mission- 
aries and native teachers." 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. " 341 

" Quite right, Chester ; but here is something more 
than a grain of comfort for you," and the Professor read : 

" ' The lives of the missionaries on the Gilbert Islands 
have often been in danger ; they have sown in tears and 
with long waiting ; but their labors and sacrifices have 
not been in vain in the Lord. The Mornmg Star, on her 
last trip, found three hundred candidates for baptism on 
one island, two hundred on another, while on a third, an 
island where a few years ago even the Morning Star's 
boat dare not land, the people were found anxious to be 
taught.'" " . 

" Ah, that 's something like it ! " exclaimed Chester ; 
"and you see, spite of all that has been said, the good 
work is going on there. The missionaries have not suf- 
fered and died in vain ; and I confidently predict that 
the time will come — sooner, perhaps, than we think — 
when this people shall issue out of darkness into God's 
own marvelous light." 

" Heaven grant it may be so," said the Professor, 
reverently. 

" I say amen to that," cried the Captain, heartily. 
Then, after a moment's silence : " When I said what I 
did in the first place about the Gilbert Islands, Chester, 
I had not the northern cluster so much in mind as the 
southern. This large group or archipelago, you must 
understand, has many names. It is called the Gilbert 
group, Scarborough's Archipelago, and the Kingsmjll 
group ; and sometimes the Zarawa Islands. Then, too, 
some authorities call the whole group Scarborough's 
Archipelago, and confine the name Gilbert to the north- 
ern cluster and Kingsmill to the southern, while others 
make two distinct groups of the islands. Now, while 
the people of the northern-cluster are all that has been 
claimed for them, they are not half as bad as the natives 
of the southern or Kingsmill Islands, whom, as I said 



342 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 



before, I particularly had in mind, and of whom I never 
yet knew anyone to say a good word, unless, perhaps, it 
was of the inhabitants of one small island." 

" And what island was that. Captain ? " asked Eugene. 

" Makin or Pitt Island," was the answer. 

"Tell us something about this southern cluster,. if you 
please," said Chester. 

" It consists of some sixteen coral islands," began the 
Captain, " all lying very low, so that they might easily 
escape the attention of voyagers. As is always the 
case with coral islands, the navigation among them is 
extremely dangerous. They are mostly long in propor- 
tion to their width, the largest of the group, called Tapu- 
teonea by the natives, but better known as Drummond 
Island, being much more than thirty miles long, and 
only from a half to three-quarters of a mile wide. The 
natives of these islands, as I have already said, have a 
character for ferocity such as is not often found among 
Polynesians. They are much darker than the inhabitants 
of the groups to the south of them, and of more moderate 
stature. They are well made and slender, and have black 
and glossy hair. While their mouths are large, there is 
nothing of the negro charocter about them, and the teeth 
are always white. They wear beards and mustaches, the 
hair of which is fine. 

" I spoke of the Makin Islanders. It is a little remark- 
able that these people are not only less warlike than their 
neighbors, but are also of a lighter complexion, approach- 
ing in this respect the inhabitants of Samoa." 

" How do you account for it. Captain ?" asked Eugene. 

" I can only account for it in one way," was the reply. 
" Sometime in the past, a party of Samoans or Tongans 
must have been blown out of their course by a gale, 
landed on the island, and gradually absorbed in the 
community ; and what is to be seen now is the result." 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. . 345 

"Are the dwellings in this cluster like those in the 
northern ? " asked Chester. 

" Their houses," replied the Captain, " vary much in 
size and form according to their uses, and are rather dis- 
tinguished for strength and massiveness than for beauty. 
The ordinary dwelling consists of two stories, the upper 
part being used as a sleeping-place, and the lower entirely 
open. Some of the buildings wherein the chiefs sit and 
talk together and receive visitors are poor affairs, being 
nothing more than roofs supported by posts. As in the 
northern cluster, there is in every village a maneaha, in 
which the people assemble on stated occasions. It is of 
enormous size, having a lofty roof thatched with pan- 
danus leaves and lined with matting." 

" As they do not seem to display any great degree of 
taste in architecture, to what do they bend their energies 
and devote their artistic powers ? " 

" War and weapons of war. Their swords and spears 
are curious and blood-thirsty looking objects, being liber- 
ally armed with sharks' teeth, which are carefully fas- 
tened to the edges of the former and sides of the latter." 

" How about dress ? " asked Eugene. 

" It varies according to the particular island," was the 
answer. " Principally they use mats made of the pan- 
danus leaf cut into narrow strips, and dyed brown and 
yellow. These strips are plaited together in an ingenious 
fashion so as to form neat patterns. A cape, with a slit 
in the middle, through which the head passes, is worn 
over the neck, and a curious high cap of pandanus-leaf 
covers the head. But in battle the chiefs wear a cap 
made of the porcupine fish, like those of the other group, 
and upon this is fixed a bunch of feathers. The dress of 
the women merely consists of a skirt of stripped leaves, 
reaching from the waist nearly to the knees, and fast- 
ened by a cord, often six hundred feet in length, made 



346 THE GILBEET ISLANDS. 

of human hair. On the cord are strung alternately 
beads made of shells and cocoanut." 

" Is it true that the women fight, as well as the men ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " both sexes go into battle, and 
both are killed indiscriminately ; and for that matter, 
even the children are slaughtered as well as their elders." 

" They are a war-loving people, that 's a fact," observed 
Eugene. 

" Why, it 's their chief business, it 's all they think of ; 
and when they are not at it themselves, which is n't often, 
they must see something else engaged in mortal com'bat, 
and so they take great delight in cock-fighting, no other 
amusement affords them half the pleasure." 

" I have n't heard you mention their kings," said 
Chester, suggestively. 

" There is only one king in the cluster," replied the 
Captain ; " and he lives on Apamama, and reigns over 
that island, together with Nanouki and Koria. On the 
other islands the government is carried on by a council 
of chiefs, the eldest taking the first place, and the others 
being reckoned by seniority. Of course every island has 
its own council." 

" In their own districts, these chiefs, I suppose, are 
independent ? " said Chester, inquiringly. 

" Yes, and they possess certain powers and privileges 
that are recognized and respected everywhere by their 
fellow chiefs. Each one has a mark peculiar to himself, 
and when a stranger places himself under the protection 
of a chief, he receives the mark of his protector. This 
is very simple, and consists of a patch of paint on the 
forehead, and a stripe down the middle of the face as far 
as the chin." 

" Who come next in rank to the chiefs ? " asked 
Eugene. 



THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 847 

" The land-holders," was the reply ; " and after them 
come the slaves, the third and last division of the 
people." 

" I suppose such ferocious fellows must be cannibals ? " 
said Eugene, confidently. 

" Hardly," rejoined the captain. " It is quite true though 
that in some instances portions of a human body have been 
eaten. For instance, if a celebrated warrior is killed, 
the victors sometimes cook the body, and each eats a 
small portion of it. This however is done, not from a 
craving for human flesh, but from a feeling of revenge, 
and because they think that those who partake of it 
receive a portion of the courage which once animated 
the body. They often, too, preserve the skulls of such 
warriors, and use them as drinking cups. 

" The skulls of the dead are always preserved by their 
friends, as in the northern cluster, provided they have 
died natural deaths, or their bodies have been recovered 
in battle. The corpse is first laid out on mats for eight 
days, being washed, oiled, and placed in the sunshine at 
noon every day, while the friends mourn, dance, and sing 
praises of the dead. The body is then buried for some 
weeks, after which the skull is removed, cleaned, oiled, 
and put in a place of safety. Occasionally they bring 
the skulls out, and after oiling them afresh, wreathe 
them with flowers, and set food before them. When a 
family removes to another village, they take the skulls 
with them. 

" On Makin there exists the most extraordinary funeral 
ceremony in the world. The body is treated in the 
manner already described ; but after the first day's 
wailing, it is laid on a new mat spread over a great tray 
made of tortoise-shell sewed together. A number of per- 
sons seat themselves opposite each other on the floor of 
the house, and support the tray on their knees as long as 



348 THE GILBERT ISLANDS. 

they are able. When they are tired, they are relieved by 
others, and thus the body is borne by friends and 
relatives for two years, the bearers relieving each other 
at intervals." 

" Good gracious ! " exclaimed Eugene ; " and what hap- 
pens then ? " 

" Why, when the two years have expired, the head is 
removed, and the skull cleaned and preserved, as in the 
other islands. The bones are then wrapped up in mats 
and buried. The place where a warrior has been interred 
is always marked with three stones." 

" Captain," said the second mate, who had been wait- 
ing some minutes for a chance to get in a word, " Mr. 
Morgan would like to see you in the engine-room, if not 
too much trouble." 

" Certainly," responded the Captain, starting to his feet; 
" excuse me, my friends," and he hurried forward, closely 
followed by Seth Cook. 

This interruption broke up the party for the day. 



CHAPTER XX. 

THE KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 



U 



I 



FIND," said Chester the next morning, as he 
joined his friends in their accustomed place, and 
took possession of the seat which his brother consider- 
ately pushed toward him, " I find that Dana has some- 
thing to say of the islands which the Captain told us so 
much about yesterday ; and he gives one some new 
ideas." 

" Then by all means let us hear him," exclaimed 
Captain Bradford, in his heartiest manner. 

" I thought of Dana myself yesterday, and of Wilkes 
too," said the Professor ; " but it seemed to me that the 
Captain had about exhausted the subject. However, if 
there is anything that has n't been brought to our atten- 
tion, I join with him in calling for it." 

"And I add my humble entreaties to the others," 
chimed in Eugene. 

" Well, then," began Chester, as he opened the book 
and found the place, " he first mentions Taputeonea or 
Drummond Island, and speaks of the village of Utiroa ; 
then, after alluding to the great Maneaha and giving its 
dimensions, he goes on to say : ' This island, unlike the 
Duke of York's, was densely peopled, and, owing appar- 
ently to the scant supply of fish and vegetables thus 
occasioned, many of the natives were afflicted with 
leprosy, and also had bad teeth, both circumstances 
unusual for the Pacific' " 

" Bad teeth, eh ? " exclaimed Eugene ; " that does n 't 
hardly agree with what you said yesterday. Captain." 
15 (349) 



350 KINGSMILLS AND OTHEE CORAL ISLANDS. 

" He is speaking of a single island now," returned the 
Captain, " I referred to the islands collectively. As a 
general thing, I think the people of the Kingsmill group 
have good teeth." 

" All right ; go on Chester," and his brother resumed : 

"'Lean in body and savage in look and gesture, they 
strangely contrasted with their fat, jolly kinsmen on 
some of the more northern islands of the same group. 
An old fat chief who came from one of these islands to 
the ship's side in his canoe was actually too large to have 
reached the deck except by the use of a tackle. It was 
evident that infanticide — a necessity according to their 
system of political economy — was more thoroughly prac- 
ticed than on Drummond Island, and that the population 
was thus kept from becoming uncomfortably numerous. 
The obesity was probably owing to their having nothing 
to do, and plenty, in the vegetable way, to eat ; for their 
somewhat elevated equatorial islands, as elsewhere ob- 
served, are unusually productive for atolls — just the 
place for a voluptuous barbarian. 

" ' The people on Drummond Island were great thieves, 
and knew the pleasure of a cannibal feast, — " 

" There it is again. Captain ! " broke in Eugene. " He 
says they knew the pleasures of a cannibal feast; you 
said they ate very little human flesh, and led us to infer 
that they took no pleasure in it." 

" If Professor Dana really thinks the Gilbert Islanders 
are, or have ever been, cannibals, in a greater degree 
than I stated yesterday, I am sure he is mistaken," 
replied the Captain, with much earnestness. 

" What do you say. Professor ?" asked Eugene, turning 
to the palaeontologist. 

" I think it 's very like the matter of the teeth," was 
the answer. " On some of the islands there may have 
been cannibals, and Drummond may have been one of 
them." 



KINGSMILLS AND OTHEE CORAL ISLANDS. 851 

" That 's it, without doubt. Go on, Chester." 

" He next mentions the weapons the Captain told us 
about," explained his brother. ' Without metals, or any- 
kind of hard stone,' he says, ' they make, out of the 
teeth of the sharks caught about the reefs, a sharp, jag- 
ged edging for long knives, swords, and spears ; and the 
women, jealous of one another, sometimes, as Mr. Hale 
says, carry about with them for months a small weapon 
of shark's teeth concealed under their dress, watching 
for an opportunity to use it ; and desperate fights some- 
times take place. The same author mentions, also, some 
good points in them ; observing that the women are, for 
the most part,' better treated than is common among 
uncivilized people ; that the men do the hard out-door 
work, while the women clear and weed the ground, and 
attend to the domestic duties that naturally fall to them. 
" Custom also requires that when a man meets a female 
he shall pay her the same mark of respect that is ren- 
dered to a chief, by turning aside to let her pass " — a 
rule that probably does not always hold in practice. He 
adds : " The word manda signifies, among the Gilbert 
Islanders, a man thoroughly accomplished in all their 
knowledge and arts, and versed in every noble exercise ; 
a good dancer, an able warrior, one who has seen life at 
home and abroad, and enjoyed its highest excitements 
and delights ; in short, a complete man of the world. In 
their estimation, this is the proudest character to which 
any person can attain ; and such a one is fully prepared 
to enter, at his death, on the highest enjoyments of their 
elysium." 

" ' Thus much for the human productions of coral 
islands. 

" ' Although the vegetation of coral islands has the 
luxuriance that characterizes more favored tropical lands, 
the number of species of land plants is small.' " 
15 



352 KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 

" Do n't give them," said Eugene, hastily ; " just tell 
us the number." 

" Twenty-eight or thirty species." 

" Well, what comes next ? " 

" Something in praise of the cocoanut palm." 

" Good ; let 's hear it." 

" We have had something on the same subject before." 

"Not from him. We '11 hear this." 

"Very well," said Chester, as the others assented. 
" ' The cocoanut,' he remarks, ' in view of its uses, is a 
dozen trees in one. Its trunk furnishes timber for the 
houses of the natives, and the best of wood, on account 
of its weight and strength, for clubs and spears — weap- 
ons much in use — besides serving as ornamental side- 
arms. Its leaves supply material for thatching ; for 
coarse matting to sit on, and beautiful fine mats for use 
in the way of occasional dress ; also for the short aprons 
or petticoats of the women, above alluded to. The fruit, 
besides its delicately-flavored hollow kernel, affords, by 
the grating of the kernel, a milky juice, that is richer 
than cream for purposes of native cookery, and which we 
explorers often used with satisfaction in coffee, cows 
being unknown in those regions ; also, from each nut, a 
pint of the thinner " cocoanut milk " — a more agreeable 
drink in the land of cocoanuts than in New York ; also, 
an abundant oil, much valued for sleeking down their 
naked bodies, and sometimes offered to a friendly visitor 
whom they would honor with a like anointing. Fur- 
ther, from the young fruit, three-fourths grown, comes 
a delightful beverage, as brisk nearly as soda-water, 
besides a rich creamy pulp ; both of these far better 
than the corresponding products of the ripe fruit. The 
husk is excellent for cordage, twine,^ thread, fishing-lines ; 
and the smaller cord serves in place of nails for securing 
together the beams of their domestic and public build- 




ITNDBB THE COCOANUT PALMS. 



KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 355 

ings, and also for ornamenting the structure within, the 
cord being often wound with much taste and diversity 
of figures. The nut is, when opened, a ready-made 
drinking-cup or cooking utensil. Finally, the developing 
bud, before blossoming, yields a large supply of sweet 
juice, from which molasses is sometimes made, and then, 
by fermentation, a spirituous liquor, called among the 
Gilbert Islanders by a name that sounded very much like 
toddy, and possessing qualities that answer to the name ; 
but this is procured at the expense of the fruit, and the 
good of the tree, and also of the best interests of the 
natives.' " 

" We had something about that when we were consid- 
ering Apaiang," remarked Eugene. 

" Yes," assented the Captain, " you may be sure the 
knowledge of toddy is pretty well distributed, not only 
in every part of the Gilbert group, but throughout Poly- 
nesia." 

" No doubt of that," said Chester, and then resuming : 

" ' It is doubted whether the ocean is ever successful in 
planting the cocoanut on coral islands. The nut seems 
to be well fitted for marine transportation, through its 
thick husk, which serves both as a float and a protection ; 
but there is no known evidence that any island never 
inhabited has been found supplied with cocoanut trees. 
The possibility of a successful planting by the waves 
cannot be denied; but there are so many chances that 
the floating nut will be kept too long 'in the water, or be 
thrown where it cannot germinate, that the probability 
of a transplanting is exceedingly small.' " 

" That 's new to me," exclaimed Eugene. " I always 
supposed there was no doubt about the new coral islands 
being indebted to the waves for their first cocoanut 
trees." 

" It seems there is a good deal of doubt, though — at 
least, in the mind of the Professor," laughed his brother. 



356 KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 

" So I see. Well, what comes next ? " 

" The pandaniis." 

" We know something about that, already ; still we are 
likely to learn something new, so go on," and Chester 
continued : 

" ' Another tree, peculiarly fitted for the region, is the 
pandanus, or screw-pine — well named as far as the sylla- 
ble screw goes, but having nothing of a pine in its habit. 
Its long, sword-like leaves, of the shape and size of those 
of a large iris, are set spirally on the few awkward 
branches toward the extremity of each, and make a tree 
strikingly tropical in character. It grows sometimes to 
a height of thirty feet. It is well fitted for the poor 
and shallow soil of a coral island, for as it enlarges and 
spreads its branches, one prop after another grows out of 
the trunk and plants itself in the ground ; and by this 
means its base is widened and the growing tree sup- 
ported. The fruit, a large, ovoidal mass made up of 
oblong dry seed, diverging. from a center, each near two 
cubic inches in size, affords a sweetish, husky article of 
food, which, though little better than prepared corn- 
stalks, admits of being stored away for use when other 
things fail ; and at the Gilbert Islands and others in that 
part of the ocean, is so employed. 

" ' The pisonia is another of the forest trees, and is 
one of handsome foliage and large and beautiful flowers, 
sometimes attaining a height of forty feet, and the trunk 
twenty in girt. 

" ' Among the species that are earliest in taking root 
in the emerging coral debris over the reef, there are the 
portulaccse (species of purslane) ; the Triuniphetta pro- 
cumbens, a creeping, yellow-flowering plant of the Tilia 
family ; the Tournefortia sericea, a low, hoary shrub of 
the family Boraginaceae ; and Sccevola Jconi^ii, a sub-fleshy 
sea-shore plant.' 



KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 357 

" He now mentions the plants of some other islands. 
* On Rose Island,' he says, ' just east of the Navigator 
group, Dr. C. Pickering, of the Wilkes Exploring Expe- 
dition, found only a species of pisonia and of portulacca. 
This is a small atoll, under water at high tide, excepting 
two banks, one of which is covered with trees. 

" ' In the Marshall group, on the contrary, where the 
vegetation is more varied, and the islands have probably 
undergone some elevation since they were made, Chamisso 
observed fifty-two species of land plants, and in a few 
instances the banana, taro, and bread-fruit were culti- 
vated. At the elevated coral island, Metia, north of 
Tahiti, 250 feet above the sea, sugar-cane and bread-fruit 
and many plants of the Society group occur.' 

" He now comes to the important matter of water." 

" There 's enough of that, I should judge," remarked 
Eugene, casting a sweeping glance over the boundless 
waste around them. 

" I mean drinking water," explained his brother. 

" Why did n't you say so, then ? Logan says the only 
water fit to drink on all coral islands is rain-water. 
What does Dana say?" 

" He says : ' Water is to be found commonly in suffi- 
cient quantities for the use of the natives, although the 
land is so low and flat. They dig wells,' he says, ' five to 
ten feet deep in any part of the dry islets, and generally 
obtain a constant supply. These wells are sometimes 
fenced around with special care ; and the houses of the 
villagers, as at Fakaafo, are often clustered about them. 
On Aratica (Carlshoff) there is a watering-place 50 feet 
in diameter, from which vessels of the Wilkes Expedition 
obtained 390 gallons.' " 

" That reminds me," interposed the Captain, " of the 
curious place where they procure water on Ocean Island. 
It is the only place on the island where fresh water can 



358 KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 

be had, and is in a large cavern at some distance below 
the surface of the earth. By reason of a superstitious 
belief, no one but women are allowed to descend into this 
cavern ; hence the females bring all the water that is 
required by the natives in cocoanut-shells, as they have 
no utensils of a larger description. During some seasons 
of the year the water is very low, and the king places all 
on short allowance. At such times many suffer greatly 
for want of it. A captain of my acquaintance, who once 
visited the island during the dry season, says that the 
natives came off to his ship in swarms to get water to 
drink, and so numerous were they that he was obliged 
to compel them Jbo desist, as he had barely sufficient to 
last till the end of the cruise." 

" Ocean Island — why, that 's where they produce so 
many pumpkins and garden vegetables, is n't it ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" Yes," answered the Captain ; " formerly they raised 
vast quantities, and carried on an extensive trade with 
passing ships — especially whalers. The pumpkins, how- 
ever, were, in reality, what New Englanders call the 
crooked-neck squash." 

" I have heard that the island is very beautiful," said 
Chester. 

" It is the most beautiful in the group," rejoined the 
Captain ; " and there are few more beautiful in all the 
Pacific. The land is moderately high, and presents a 
very even surface." 

" But you see," remarked the Professor, " that they do 
sometimes suffer for the want of water on these islands, 
as Mr. Logan intimated." 

" Ah, yes ! " exclaimed Eugene ; " but what more does 
Dana say, Chester ? " 

" ' The Gilbert Islands,' he says," resumed the reader, 
" ' are generally provided with a supply sufficient for 



KINGSMILLS AND OTHEE COEAL ISLANDS. 359 

bathing, and each native takes his morning bath in fresh 
water, which is esteemed by them a great luxury. On 
Tari-tari (of the Gilbert group), as Mr. Horatio Hale, 
philologist of the Wilkes Expedition, was informed by a 
Scotch sailor by the name of Grey, taken from the 
island, there is a trench or canal several miles long, and 
two feet deep. They have taro plantations (which is 
possible only where there is a large supply of water), 
and besides some bread-fruit. He spoke of the taro 
as growing to a very large size, and as being in great 
abundance ; it was planted along each side of the pond. 
Grey added further that ten ships of the line might water 
there, though the place was not reached without some 
difficulty. There were fish in the pond which had been 
put in while young. The bottom was adhesive like clay. 
These islands have been elevated a little, but are not 
over fifteen feet above the sea. 

" ' Kotzebue observes, that " in the inner part of Otdia 
(one of the Marshall Islands), there is a lake of sweet 
water; and in Tabual, of the Group Aur, a marshy 
ground exists. There is no want of fresh water in the 
larger islands ; it rises in abundance in the pits dug for 
the purpose. 

" ' The only source of this water is the rains, which, 
percolating through the loose sands, settle upon the 
hardened coral rock that forms the basis of the island. 
As the soil is white, or nearly so, it receives heat but 
slowly, and there is consequently but little evaporation 
of the water that is once absorbed.' " 

" So it is the rain, after all," murmured Eugene. 

" Of course," responded his brother, a little impatient- 
ly, and then continued : 

" ' Water is sometimes obtained by making a large 

cavity in the body of a cocoanut tree, two feet or so 

from the ground. At the Duke of York's Island, and 
15* 



360 KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 

probably also at the adjacent Bowditch Island, this 
method is put in practice ; the cavities hold five or six 
gallons of water.' " 

" For my part," exclaimed Eugene, emphatically, " I 
have had quite enough of water. Can 't you give us 
something else, brother ? " 

" How would birds suit you ? " asked Chester. " In 
speaking of them, I see he refers to Houden Island, 
Wilkes's account of which so fascinated the Professor, 
you remember." 

" That will do — if there 's not too much of it." 

" I '11 endeavor to cut it short." And Chester con- 
tinued : 

" ' The tropical birds of the islands are often more in 
keeping with the beautiful scenery about them than the 
savage inhabitants. On one atoll — Houden Island of 
the Paumotous, where no natives had ever dwelt — the 
birds were so innocent of fear, that we took them from 
the trees as we would fruit, and many a songster lost a 
tail-feather, as it sat perched on a branch, apparently 
unconscious that the world contained an enemy.' " 

" He then refers to J. D. Hague's account of the birds 
of Jarvis's and some other uninhabited islands of the 
equatorial Pacific, and makes a quotation from it," ex- 
plained Chester, looking up from the book. 

" Well, that ought to be worth listening to," com- 
mented Eugene. 

" I think we would all like to hear it," said the Pro- 
fessor. And thus encouraged, Chester read : 

" ' From fifteen to twenty varieties of birds may be 
distinguished among those frequenting the islands, of 
which the principal are gannets and boobies, frigate-birds, 
tropic-birds, tern, noddies, petrels, and some game-birds, 
as the curlew, snipe, and plover. Of terns, there are 
several species, the most numerously represented of 



KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 361 

which is what I believe to be the Sterna Tiirundo. These 
frequent the island twice in the year for the purpose of 
breeding. They rest on the ground, making no nests, 
but selecting tufts of grass,, where such may be found, 
under which to lay their eggs. I have seen acres of 
ground thus thickly covered by these birds, whose num- 
bers might be told by millions. Between the breeding 
seasons they diminish considerably in numbers, though 
they never entirely desert the island. They are expert 
fishers and venture far out to sea in quest of prey. The 
noddies {^Sterna stolida) are also very numerous. They 
are black birds, somewhat larger than pigeons, with 
much longer wings, and very simple and stupid. They 
burrow holes in the guano, in which they live and raise 
their young, generally inhabiting that part of the deposit 
which is shallowest and driest. Their numbers seem to 
be about the same throughout the year. The gannet and 
booby, two closely allied species (of the genus Siila), are 
represented by two or three varieties. They are large 
birds, and great devourers of fish, Avhich they take very 
expertly, not only catching those that leap out of the 
water, but diving beneath the surface for them. They 
are very awkward and unwield}^ on land, and may be 
easily overtaken and captured, if indeed they attempt to 
escape at all on the approach of man. They rest on the 
trees wherever there is opportunity, but in these islands 
they collect in great groups on the ground, where they 
lay their eggs and raise their young. One variety, not 
very numerous, has the habit of building up a pile of 
twigs and sticks, twenty or thirty inches in height, par- 
ticularly on Rowlands, where more material of that sort 
is at hand, on which they make their nest. When fright- 
ened, these birds disgorge the contents of their stomachs, 
the capacity of which is something very astonishing. 
They are gross feeders, and I have often seen one dis- 
15* 



3(32 KINGSMILLS AND OTHEK CORAL ISLANDS. 

gorge three or four large flying fisli fifteen or eighteen 
inches in length. 

" ' The frigate-bird is a large, rapacious Ijircl, the tyrant 
of the feathered community. It lives almost entirely by 
piracy, forcing other birds to contribute to its support. 
These frigate-birds hover over the island constantly, lying 
in wait for fishing birds returning from the sea to -whom 
they give chase, and the pursued bird escapes only by 
disgorging its prey, which the pursuer very adroitly 
catches in the air. They also prey upon flying fish and 
others that leap from sea to sea, but never dive for fish 
and rarely ever approach the water. 

" ' The above are the kind of birds most numerously 
represented, and to which we owe the existing deposits 
of guano. Besides these are the tropic-birds, which are 
found in considerable numbers on Ilowland's Island, but 
seldom on Jarvis's or Baker's. They prefer the former 
because there are large blocks or fragments of beach 
rock, scattered over the island's surface, under which 
they burrow out nests for themselves.' A service is 
sometimes required of this bird, which may, perhaps, be 
worthy of notice : A setting bird was taken from her 
nest and carried to sea by a vessel just leaving the 
island. On the second day, at sea, a rag, on which was 
written a message, was attached to the bird's feet, who 
returned to the nest, bringing with it the intelligence of 
the departed vessel. This experiment succeeded so well 
that, subsequently, these birds were carried from How- 
land's to Baker's Island — forty miles distant — and, on 
being liberated there, one after the other, as occasion 
demanded, brought back messages, proving themselves 
useful in the absence of other means of communication. 
The game birds, snipe, plover, and curlew, frequent the 
islands in the fall and winter, but I never i(i md any evi- 
dence of their breeding there. They do not leave the 



KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 363 

island in quest of prey, but may be seen at low-tide pick- 
ing up their food on the reef which is then almost dry. 

" ' Some of the social habits of these birds are worthy 
of remark. The gannets and boobies usually crowd 
together in a very exclusive manner. The frigate-birds 
likewise keep themselves distinct from other kinds. The 
tern appropriate to themselves a certain portion of the 
island ; each family collects in its accustomed roosting 
place, but all in peace and harmony. The feud between 
the fishing birds and their oppressors, the frigate-birds, 
is only active in the air ; if the gannet or booby can but 
reach the ground, land and plant its feet on the ground, 
the pursuer gives up the chase immediately.' " 

"Does n't Dana have something to say about the fish?" 
asked Captain Bradford. 

" Yes," responded Chester ; " I notice a few words just 
here, and he touches lightly on a variety of subjects. 

" ' The extensive reefs about coral islands,' he says, 
' abound in fish, which are easily captured, and the 
natives, with wooden hooks, often bring in larger kinds 
from the deep waters. From such resources a popula- 
tion of 7,000 persons is supported on the single island of 
Taputeuea, whose whole habitable area does not exceed 
six square miles. There are also shell-fish of edible 
kinds, and others that are the source of considerable 
activity in pearl-fishing. 

" ' An occasional log drifts to the shores, and at some 
of the more isolated atolls, where the natives are ignorant 
of any land but the spot they inhabit, they are deemed 
direct gifts from a propitiated deity. These drift-logs 
were noticed by Kotzebue, at the Marshall Islands, and 
he remarked also that they often brought stones in their 
roots. Similar facts have been observed at the Gilbert 
group, and also at Enderby's Island, and many other 
coral islands in the Pacific. The stones at the G-ilbert 



3G4 KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 

Islands, as far as could })e learned, are generally basaltic 
or volcanic, and they are highly valued among the natives 
for whet-stones, pestles, and hatchets. The logs are 
claimed by the chiefs for canoes. Some of the logs 
seen by the author, like those at Enderby's Island, were 
forty feet or more long. Several large masses of com- 
pact cellular lava occur on Rose Island, a few degrees 
east of the Navigator group ; they were lying two hun- 
dred yards inside of the line of breakers. The island is 
uninhabited, and the origin of the stones is doubtful ; 
they may have been brought there by roots of trees, or 
perhaps by some canoe. 

" ' Fragments of pumice and resin are' transported by 
the waves to many of the islands in the Central Pacific. 
We were informed at the Gilbert Islands that the pumice 
was gathered from the shores by women and pounded up 
to fertilize the soil of their taro patches ; and that it is 
common for a woman to pick up a peck a day. 

" ' Where this pumice comes from is not ascertained. 
It is probably drifted from the westward, and perhaps 
from volcanic islands of the Ladrones, or the Philippines. 
In addition, volcanic ashes are sometimes distributed 
over these islands, through the atmosphere. In this 
manner the soil of the Tonga Islands has been improved, 
and in some places it has even received a reddish color. 
This group has its own active volcano to supply the 
ashes, and the volcanic group of the New Hebrides is not 
far distant to the southwest. 

" ' Notwithstanding all the products and all the attrac- 
tions of a coral island,' he then goes on to say, ' even in 
its best condition it is but a miserable place for human 
development, physical, mental, or moral. There is poetry 
in every feature, but the natives find this a poor substi- 
tute for the bread-fruit and yams of more favored lands. 
The cocoanut and pandanus are, in general, the only 



KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 365 

products of the vegetable kingdom afforded for their 
sustenance, and fish, shell-fish, and crabs from the reefs 
their only animal food. Scanty, too, is the supply ; and 
infanticide is resorted to in self-defense, where but a few 
years would otherwise overstock the half a dozen square 
miles of which their little world consists — a world with- 
out rivers, without hills, in the midst of salt water, with 
the most elevated point but ten to twenty feet above high 
tide, and no part more than three hundred yards from 
the ocean. 

" ' In the more isolated coral islands, the language of 
the natives indicates their poverty as well as the limited 
productions and unvarying features of the land. All 
words like those for mountain, hill, river, and many of 
the implements of their ancestors, as well as the trees 
and other vegetation of the land from which they are 
derived, are lost to them ; and as words are but signs for 
ideas, they have fallen off in general intelligence. It 
would be an interesting inquiry for the philosopher, to 
what extent a race of men placed in such circumstances 
is capable of mental improvement. Perhaps the query 
might be best answered by another. How many of the 
various arts of civilized life could exist in a land where 
shells are the only cutting instruments, — the plants of 
the land in all but twenty-nine in number, — minerals 
but one, — quadrupeds none, with the exception of for- 
eign rats and mice, — fresh water barely enough for 
household purposes, — no streams, nor mountains, nor 
hills ? How much of the poetry or literature of Europe 
would be intelligible to persons whose ideas had expanded 
only to the limits of a coral island ; who had never con- 
ceived of a surface of land above half a mile in breadth, — 
of a slope higher than a beach, — of a change of seasons 
beyond a variation in the prevalence of rains? What 
elevation in morals should be expected upon a contracted 



366 KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 

islet, SO readily over-peopled that threatened starvation 
drives to infanticide, and tends to cultivate the extremest 
selfishness ? Assuredly there is not a more unfavorable 
spot for moral or intellectual progress in the wide world 
than the coral inland. 

" ' Still, if well supplied with foreign stores, including a 
good stock of ice, they might become, were they more 
accessiljle, a pleasant temporary resort for tired workers 
from civilized lands, who wish quiet, perpetual summer 
air, salt-water bathing, and l^oating or yachting ; and 
especially for those who could draw inspiration from the 
mingled beauties of grove, lake, ocean, and coral meads 
and grottoes, where 

' ' — Life in rare and beautiful forms 
Is sporting amid tlie bowers of stone." 

" ' But after all, the dry land of the atoll is so limited, 
its features so tame, its supply of fresh water so small, 
and of salt water so large, that whoever should build his 
cottage on one of them would probably be glad, after a 
short experience, to transfer it to an island of larger 
dimensions, like Tahiti or Upolu, one more varied in 
surface and productions ; that has its mountains and 
precipices ; its gorges and open valleys ; leaping torrents 
not less than surging billows ; and forests spreading up 
the declivities, as well as groves of palms and corals by 
the shores.' 

" He then again refers to the one mineral product of 
atolls, calcite or carbonate of lime, the material of the 
coral rock, and says it is the only kind on the great 
majority of them ; but states that on some of the smaller 
. islands, such as Jarvis's, Baker's, Howland's, Maiden's, 
McKean's, Birnie's, Phoenix's, Enderby's, and others, 
there are, in addition to this, and the stones brought 
by logs with the floating pumice, beds of gypsum which 
have been made thi'ough the evaporation of sea-water 



KINGSMILLS AND OTHER COEAL ISLANDS. 367 

in the gradually drying lagoon basins ; and also large 
deposits of guano from the multitudes of seabirds that 
occupy them. 

" One word," exclaimed Eugene. " I suppose these 
islands sometimes suffer from earthquakes and storms. 
Does he say anything on the subject ? " 

" He says that in this respect, coral islands are like 
the continents, and that occasionally a devastating wave 
sweeps across the land." 

" Good gracious ! I should suppose that, at such times, 
everything would be swept away ; for the usug,! elevation 
of the land is no more than ten or twelve feet, and so, 
easily overtopped by the more violent seas." 

" Yes ; and during the heavier gales, the natives are 
obliged to secure their houses by tying them to the cocoa- 
nut trees, or to a stake planted in the ground for the 
purpose. Such tremendous earthquake-waves as those 
which have swept up the coast of Spain, Peru, and the 
Hawaiian Islands, Dana says, would produce a complete 
deluge over these islands. He was informed that effects 
of this kind had been experienced at the Gilbert Islands ; 
but the statements were too indefinite to determine 
whether the results should be attributed to storms, or to 
this more violent cause ; and he closes the subject by say- 
ing that while coral islands have their storms, the region 
in their vicinity is generally one of light winds and calms, 
even when the trades are blowing strongly all around 
them. ' The heated air which rises from the islands,' he 
says, ' lifts the currents to a considerable height above 
the island.' And he calls attention to J. D. Hague's 
statement, that on Jarvis's and the two neighboring 
islands, under the equator, near 180° in longitude from 
Greenwich, he ' often observed the remarkable phenome- 
non of a rain-squall approaching the island, and, just 
before reaching it, separating into two parts, one of 



368 KINGSMILLS AND OTHER CORAL ISLANDS. 

which passed by on the north, the other on the south 
side, the cloud having been cleft by the column of heated 
air rising from the white coral sands.' And now, I 
think, we have had enough of coral islands for to-day." 

-" I quite agree with you," said his brother ; " though I 
must admit I have been greatly interested." 

" So have we all," added the Professor ; " and I think 
Chester deserves a vote of thanks." 

" So do I," said the Captain, as he started to his feet, 
" and I only hope we shall be as agreeably entertained 
another day." 



CHAPTER XXI. 

TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

" X)ROFESSOR," asked Chester, a day or two later, 
I " do you remember who discovered Tahiti ? " 

" It is said that Quiros, a Spaniard, originally dis- 
covered the island, in 1606," was the answer. " He 
called it Sagittaria. Many others, however, during the 
following seventy odd years, visited the group, laid claims 
to the discovery, and gave names to the islands." 

" About the name, what should we call it ? I mean 
the group, of course." 

" For my part, I like Tahiti, or the Tahitian Islands ; 
but you will find that the preference is generally given 
by geographers to Society Islands. The group is divided 
into two clusters, one of which lies seventy miles north- 
west of the other, and formerly they were distinguished 
by the separate designations of the Society Islands 
(proper) and the Tahiti or Georgian Islands." 

" Sailors usually speak of one cluster as the windward 
and the other as the leeward ; applying the term Tahi- 
tian, or Society Islands to both combined," observed the' 
Captain. 

" Very true," assented the Professor. 

" What are the names of the several Islands ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" Those of the Tahiti cluster," answered the Professor, 
" are Tahiti or Otaheite, Eimeo or Moorea, Maiaoiti, Mai- 
tia, and Tetuaroa. Those of the Society Islands proper 
are Huahine, Raiatea, Otaha or Tahaa, Borabora, Marua 

(369) 



370 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

or Maupiti, and Tubal. Besides these there are several 
islets not worth mentioning." 

" The islands are very mountainous, are they not ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Extremely so, in the interior," was the answer ; 
" but extending from the base of the high lands to the 
sea, they have a border from one to five miles wide of 
rich level land." 

" The mountains are singularly picturesque in charac- 
ter, I have heard," said Eugene. 

" Yes, indeed," responded the Professor, with enthusi- 
asm ; " sometimes the rocks shoot up into sharp and 
spire-like peaks, sometimes they run for miles in perpen- 
dicular precipices, several thousand feet in height ; some- 
times they are scarped and angular like gigantic fort- 
resses, sometimes they are cleft into ravines of terrible 
depth, and sometimes they are scooped out into hol- 
lows like the craters of extinct volcanoes. In fact, the 
islands are so filled with lofty peaks and crags that the 
only way of reaching the interior is by following the 
course of the valleys." 

" Some of the mountains are very high, are they not?" 
asked Chester. 

" The highest peak on the island of Tahiti reaches an 
elevation of 7,339 feet," was the reply. 

" The islands are of volcanic origin, I suppose ? " 

" The lava, basalts, and pumice-stone, which have been 
found in several places, would so indicate." 

" There must be many delightful streams in the larger 
islands," said Eugene. 

" Yes," responded the Professor, " all are watered by 
numerous streams, upon the banks of which, or along 
the shores, the inhabitants reside. These streams have 
their source well up in the mountains, and come dashing 
in torrents down the craggy steeps, fertilizing the soil in 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 371 

their course, which, in return, brings forth in prodigal 
profusion, the richest of foliage and the most gorgeous of 
flowers. Then, in some of the islands, there are lovely 
lakes and lagoons ; and all are surrounded by belts of 
coral rock, of various width, situated from a few yards to 
five or more miles from the shore, with openings which 
permit the passage of canoes, while some of them admit 
ships to smooth water and good anchorage." 

" The climate is about perfection, I have been led to 
believe," observed Chester. 

" It is healthful and very mild," said the Professor, 
"the range of the thermometer throughout the year 
being inconsiderable." 

" From what you said a moment ago, I suppose there 
is no lack of fruits and vegetables on the islands ? " 

" Besides the bread-fruit, they produce almost every 
tropical vegetable and fruit, including some peculiar to 
the group." 

^' Yes," added the Captain, " and quite a number of 
fruits and vegetables have been introduced from the 
temperate regions." 

" True," assented the Professor ; " and the guava 
shrub, brought from Norfolk Island, is now common, and, 
I learn, bears a profusion of fruit, upon which pigs and 
cattle feed with avidity. The introduction of limes and 
oranges has also been very successful." 

" The natives must have very fine and productive gar- 
dens, I should judge," remarked Chester. 

" On the contrary," rejoined the Professor, " garden 
produce is little cultivated, and agriculture is very back- 
ward." 

" Why," exclaimed Chester, " only the other day Mr. 
Morgan informed me that they have quite a fine botanic 
garden on Tahiti ; and hence, I supposed they must feel 
a deep interest in such things." 



372 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

" It is true that the French established such a garden, 
and it offers seeds to colonists and natives ; but there is 
little demand for them, and prizes offered to stimulate 
production were withdrawn in 1865 as useless." 

" What a pity ! " exclaimed Eugene. " The islanders 
must be exceedingly lazy or very short-sighted, I should 
think." 

" Ah ! but you see the spontaneous production of 
fruits is quite sufficient for the natives," said the 
Captain. 

" Have I not heard that some efforts have been made 
toward the cultivation of cotton ? " asked Chester. 

" Very likely," replied the Professor, " for in 1861 an 
Anglo-Portuguese agricultural company was established 
for the cultivation of that plant and coffee by Chinese 
coolies ; but it has effected very little." 

" How about animals. Professor ? " asked Eugene, 
suddenl3^ 

" Pigs, dogs, and rats were the only quadrupeds found 
upon the islands at the time of their discovery ; but all 
our domestic animals have been introduced, and with the 
exception of the sheep and rabbit have thriven remark- 
ably well. Horned cattle are abundant, and meat is 
reasonably cheap." 

" Are there many birds ?" 

" There are large numbers of aquatic fowl ; the alba- 
tross, tropic birds, and petrel are found on all the 
islands ; herons and wild ducks frequent the lakes and 
lagoons ; and there are several kinds of birds of prej', 
wood-peckers, and small paroquets." 

" Domestic fowl were found upon the islands at the 
time they were discovered, I think," said Chester. 

" Yes, and were then, and are now, very abundant," 
rejoined the Professor. 

" The natives belong to the Malay race, do they not ? " 
asked Eugene. 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 373 

" They are of the same race as the Marquesans and 
other brown Polynesians, and you remember what Judge 
Fornander, Mr. Logan, and others say about them." 

" Ah, yes, I remember now. But you have seen, them, 
Captain ; are they really as good looking as I have 
heard?" 

" A Tahitian woman," answered the Captain, " would 
be reckoned beautiful even in America, the skin being 
fairer than that of many a southern girl, and the large 
full eyes and rich hair having a fascination peculiar to 
themselves. The appearance of the men is vigorous and 
graceful, they are generally above the middle stature, 
their countenances are open and prepossessing, though 
their features are bold and somewhat prominent. Their 
complexion is olive or reddish-brown, but there are great 
varieties of shades. Their behavior is affable and 
courteous." 

" What is the population of the group ? " asked 
Chester. 

" On the Tahiti or Georgian Islands," answered the 
Professor, " a little more than 14,000. On the other 
cluster, something over 4,000." 

" What ! " exclaimed Chester, " so great a difference ? " 

" The Tahiti Islands are larger, you know," rejoined 
the other. 

" I thought the two clusters were about the same in 
area." 

" The area of the Tahiti cluster is 453 square miles, 
and that of the other only 213 square miles." 

" Not quite half as large, then. But I suppose there 
are many foreigners on Tahiti ? " 

" More than 1,000 emigrants, besides 650 foreign resi- 
dents, and between 400 and 500 French soldiers." 

" I have read that tattooing is no longer practiced 
among the natives," observed Eugene. 



874 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

" No, that has gone by," said the Professor ; " and the 
native costume has been altogether abandoned for dresses 
resembling those worn by civilized nations." 

" Do they manufacture their own cloth, as formerly ? " 
asked Chester. 

" No, the native manufactures have been entirely super- 
seded by imported goods." 

" Is their trade wholly with France, as in the case of 
Martinique ? " 

"No, the chief intercourse is carried on with San 
Francisco, Valparaiso, Sydney, and Melbourne ; and the 
domestic exports of the group consist principally of 
arrowroot, sugar, cocoanut-oil, and pearl shells." 

" I suppose their commerce amounts to quite a con- 
siderable sum," remarked the Captain. 

" The annual exports," rejoined the Professor, " foot 
up to about $1,100,000, and the imports to not far from 
$700,000." 

" Papiete, the principal port," said Chester, " must be 
a fine place and an important town." 

" The harbor is perfect, I can tell you that much," said 
the Captain, emphatically. 

" It is a free port," added the Professor, " except for 
arms and spirits, and has a dry-dock for repairing vesse^ 
government buildings, and a hospital." 

" Yes," said the Captain ; " and it supports two news' 
papers, one in the native language and one in French." 

"Many of the foreigners, I suppose, reside in Papiete?" 
said Chester, inquiringly. 

" Yes, particularly the merchants," answered the Pro- 
fessor. 

" What is the population of the town ? " asked Eugene. 

" At this time, it must number not far from 1,000 or 
1,100," was the reply. 

" When the Spaniards discovered the islands, I should 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 875 

have thought they would have held on to them," said 
Eugene, after a pause. 

" They attempted to do so," replied the Professor ; 
" and as late as 1774, undertook to colonize Tahiti. 
Captain Cook visited the group about that time, and 
again on his last voyage in 1777, when he found a house 
and cross, which the Spaniards had erected, carefully 
preserved by the natives. " Eleven years passed after 
this, during which there was no communication between 
.these islands and the rest of the world, when the Bounty 
arrived to procure plants of the bread-fruit tree ; and her 
sad yet interesting story you already know. 

"Next came the English missionaries, in the early part 
of 1797. For a long time their labors were seemingly in 
vain, till at last Pomare II. embraced Christianity in 
1815. He died in 1821, and during the minority of his 
son the missionaries acquired great influence ; but the 
boy having died before he attained manhood, he was suc- 
ceeded by Queen Aimata, or, as she was better known, 
Pomare, the latter being the surname of the reigning 
family. From the conversion of Pomare II. the power 
of the Protestant missionaries continued to increase, till 
it became paramount in Tahiti. 

" Now the French were looking with covetous eyes on 

these islands ; and as an entering-wedge, two priests 

were sent to them from the French Catholic missions 

on the islands to the east, to make friends for their 

government, and to propagate the Catholic faith. The 

Protestant missionaries, of course, opposed this, and the 

priests were ordered to leave ; but they were obstinate, 

and absolutely refused to do so. They were therefore 

seized, and conveyed on board a vessel about to sail for 

some distant port, with a recommendation to pursue their 

calling on some of the many islands which as yet were 

neither Protestant nor Catholic. 
16 



376 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS 



" This action must have mightily pleased the French 
king and his government, for it afforded them the very 
pretext they wanted ; and in due time the frigate Reine 
Blanche^ under command of Admiral Du Petit-Thouars, 
whom doubtless you will remember in connection with 
the Marquesians, arrived in the harbor of Papiete, and 
demanded liberty for all French subjects, f 2,000 as the 
expenses of the voyage to France of the expelled priests, 
and some $30,000 as an indemnity for alleged insults to 
the French flag, and threatened that unless his demands 
were complied with he would bombard the town. 

" But this was not all. The arrogant French admiral 
insisted that, in addition to paying the expenses of the 
priests and the indemnity demanded, the people of Tahiti 
should, at their own expense, erect a Roman Catholic 
church in every district where they had built one for 
Protestant worship. 

" The good queen, almost overcome by terror, lest the 
admiral should carry out his cowardly threat and bom- 
bard the town, yet utterly powerless to comply with his 
outrageous demands, fled in the darkness of the night, 
in a frail canoe, to the island of Eimeo, or, as it is now 
called, Moorea, well knowing that no decisive action 
could be taken in her absence. Her most valued friend 
and adviser at this time was Mr. Pritchard, the British 
consul. Du Petit-Thouars perceiving this, caused him to 
be forcibly seized and imprisoned. After being kept for 
ten days in solitary confinement, he was, notwithstanding 
his most earnest protests, put on board an English vessel, 
far out at sea, and thus arbitrarily conveyed away from 
the islands, without a trial or investigation of any kind. 

" The British government, when the matter was 
brought to its attention, demanded an explanation of 
France. The French authorities, having learned of 
Mr. Pritchard's influence with the queen, and that their 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 377 

officials at Tahiti could make no headway until after his 
removal, approved of what had been done, but promised 
to pay a liberal indemnity for the British consul's false 
imprisonment and pecuniary losses. But to this day, so 
I am credibly informed, Mr. Pritchard has never received 
one farthing. 

" The shrewd Englishman being out of the way, the 
French made rapid progress. There was some fighting, 
or rather, skirmishing, for a time, but things were too 
one-sided, and soon the queen and her people were 
obliged to suTomit. To be sure, nominally she remained 
a queen, but in reality her power was gone, and the 
French Protectorate was firmly established. And now 
the French were masters of three valuable groups in 
this part of the Pacific: the Marquesas, Paumotou, and ^ 
Tahiti. 

" Queen Pomare died on the 17th of September, 1877, 
at the age of sixty-five years, and after a reign of more 
than half a century, thirty-five years of which were 
endured under the indignities of the French Protectorate. 
If ever sovereign was dearly loved by her people, it was 
this most estimable lady, and at her death the mourning 
throughout her little kingdom was sincere and universal. 
She was succeeded by her eldest son, Ariiaue, as Pomare 
Y. — the last king of Tahiti. 

" It had been feared that at the death of the queen 
even the semblance of the ancient rule would be dis- 
pensed with by the French, and this was thought the 
more probable as the queen's sons, in the matter of 
sobriety, had been anything but exemplary young men. 
But for some unexplained reason,, the French thought it 
best to retain a figure-head for awhile longer; and. so 
Ariiaue, and his beautiful young bride, Marau, aged 
seventeen, were proclaimed king and queen, with all 
the pomp and splendor that could be brought to bear on 
the occasion. 



378 TAHITI, OK SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

"The Legislative Assembly received with hearty ac- 
clamations the decisions of their omnipotent French 
masters, who not only proclaimed Ariiaiie King, but 
actually settled the succession for two generations to 
come. Queen Marau being half English, — the daughter 
of an English Jew, married to a chieftainess of exalted 
rank in Tahiti, — any child to which she might give birth 
was excluded from the throne in favor of the little* 
daughter of the King's brother, Tamatoa and the lovely 
Mue — ex-king and queen of Raiatea — thus securing the 
pure Tahitian blood-royal. Failing issue of this little 
princess, the succession was secured to her cousin, a 
bright and handsome boy, known as Hinoi, son of the 
third royal brother. 

" These decisions gave great satisfaction to the Tahiti- 
ans, who, though perfectly aware that all real power had 
been taken from them, still valued its nominal possession. 

" Nearly three years passed ; everything had moved on 
smoothly, and the young king's position was apparently 
secure, when, all at once, on a bright June morning in 
1880, the Tahitian world was astounded by the sudden 
announcement that the king and the native governors 
had ceded the kingdom to France, and that very after- 
noon the protectorate flag was hauled down and the tri- 
color run up." 

" Good gracious ! " exclaimed Eugene, " what could 
have possessed Pomare Y. to tamely submit in that 
way ? " 

" That is more than I am able to inform "you," answered 
the Professor ; " and I hardly think it is known just whaf 
influence was brought to bear on him." 

" I can name one strong inducement, I think," re- 
marked Chester. 

" Well, let 's hear it," said his brother. 

"The comfortable sum of 112,000 a year," returned 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 379 



the other quietly ; " to be enjoyed in peace, you under- 
stand, and in his own fashion." 

" Yes," exclaimed the Captain ; " and not only that, 
but free from the incessant tutelage which made his 
kingly rank a burden, devoid of all honor." 

" Exactly," assented Chester. 

"When was the annexation to France formally pro- 
claimed ? " asked Eugene. 

" On the 24th of March, 1881, at Papiete," answered 
the Professor ; " and it was made the occasion of a most 
brilliant festival, such as the light-hearted Polynesians 
are ever ready to welcome." 

" I suppose the French themselves — the officials, I 
paean ^ — -made a great fuss, and exerted themselves to 
the utmost to have the affair pass off with immense 
iclat?'' 

"Yes, indeed; from every ship in the harbor, and 
every part of the town floated the tri-color, which, being 
freely distributed, likewise adorned the lovely tresses of 
the women and the button-holes of the men. Plenty of 
gunpowder was burned, and plenty of noise was made, 
but not too much to please the people. An imposing 
procession was organized, and marched round the town, 
headed by the marine band. Every branch of the ser- 
vice was represented. There were infantry, artillery, 
and gendarmes, together with sailors and marines from 
the fleet. Oh, it was a glorious day — for the French, 
and one they very naturally considered worthy to be 
remembered for ever." 

There was a moment's pause, when Chester, rousing 
himself, suddenly asked : 

" Professor, can you tell us anything about that extra- 
ordinary institution which formerly prevailed among the 
Tahitians — the Areoi Society ? " 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the Professor, " now you touch on a 
peculiar subject, and one, too, I may say, full of mystery," 



380 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

" But you know something about it ? " asked Eugene, 
eagerly. 

" Not a great deal, I fear," was the reply ; " but per- 
haps as much as is generally known." 

" Was it a religious institution ? " asked Chester. 

" It is not improbable that on its first foundation it 
possessed something of a religious character. This much 
is certain, they were worshipers of the god Oro, and 
believed in the immortality of the soul, and in the exist- 
ence of a heaven suited to their own characters." 

" They formed a single confraternity throughout the 
group, did they not ? " 

" Yes, but each island furnished its own members." 

" I have heard the society compared to the Masonic 
fraternity," observed the Captain. 

" Nonsense ! " exclaimed the Professor, vehemently ; 
" no two institutions could be more utterly opposed than 
those of the order of Masonry and the Areoi Society — 
the one insisting on monotheism, wdiile the other was 
based on idolatry ; the one being a universal, and the 
other but a local society ; the one inculcating morality, 
and the other founded for the express purpose of throw- 
ing aside the small relics of morality possessed by' a 
native Polynesian." 

" There were a few who left the society, and afterwards 
told something of its inner workings, were there not ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Yes," rejoined the Professor, " several who were con- 
verted to Christianity, after they had managed to shake 
off the dread with which they contemplated any refer- 
ence to the mysteries of their order, gave some informa- 
tion with regard to it." 

" Were their accounts trustworthy ? " 

" No doubt they were ; for while they differed some- 
what in details, they all agreed in the main points." 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 381 

" And what do their stories amount to ?" asked Eugene. 

" In the first place," answered the Professor, " as I 
have ah^eady stated, they believed in the immortality of 
the soul. They acknowledged Oro as the chief god, and 
accepted his brothers, Orotetefa and Urutetefa, who had 
been made kings of the Areois by Oro, as their tutelar 
gods. Now these two lived in celibacy ; consequently 
they had no descendants. On this account, while they 
did not enjoin celibacy upon their devotees, they prohib- 
ited their having offspring. Hence, one of the stand- 
ing regulations of the society was the murder of their 
cliildren. 

"" Those who rose to high rank in the order were 
believed after their death to hold corresponding rank in 
tlieir heaven, which they called by the name of Rohutu 
noanoa, or Fragrant Paradise. All those who entered 
were instantly restored to the full vigor and bloom of 
youth, no matter what might be their age ; and in almost 
every respect the resemblance between the Polynesian 
Rohutu and the Mohammedan Paradise is close and 
almost startling." 

"And what had they to do to gain this blessed and 
fragrant Paradise ? " asked Eugene. 

" Ah ! that is the most extraordinary part of it," 
answered the Professor. " Fanatics of an ordinary turn 
of mind believe that everlasting happiness hereafter is 
to be gained by self-denial and mortification of the body 
during the present life. The Areois, with an almost 
sublime audacity, held precisely the opposite view, and 
proclaimed both by words and deeds that a life of eternal 
enjoyment in the world to come was to be obtained by 
leading a life of unbridled license in the present world. 
In order to carry out this theory to the fullest extent, 
they traveled about from one island to another in large 
companies, disseminating their peculiar opinions wherever 



382 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

tliey went, and gaining fresh recruits in each island. On 
one occasion Captain Cook saw seventy canoes filled 
with Areois set off on an expedition to the different 
islands." 

" They were divided into classes or degrees, were they 
not ? " asked the Captain. 

"Yes," said the Professor; "there were, I think, seven 
distinct classes among them, each of which was distin- 
guished by the kind or situation of the tattooing on their 
bodies ; and in addition to the regular classes, there 
were a large number of individuals, of both sexes, who 
attached themselves to the fraternity, prepared their food 
and their costumes, performed a variety of servile occu- 
pations, and attended them on their journeys, for the 
purpose of witnessing their dances, or sharing in their 
debaucheries. These were called Fanaunau, because they 
did not destroy their offspring, which, as I have already 
said, was indispensable with the regular members." 

" I have seen it stated, somewhere," remarked the 
Captain, " that while the Areois were . addicted to every 
kind of licentiousness, and paid no sort of regard to the 
marital rights of others, yet they were excessively jealous 
of their own wives, who, I believe, were also members of 
the society." 

" Yes," said the Professor ; " so jealous were they in 
this respect, that improper conduct toward the wife of 
one of their own number was often punished with death. 
This summary and fatal punishment, however, was not 
confined to their society, but was sometimes inflicted, for 
the same crime, among other classes of the community." 

" I have an idea that they were no great favorites with 
the king and higher classes," said Eugene. 

" On the contrary," rejoined the Professor, " strange as 
it may seem, the institution was held in the greatest 
repute by them ; and, notwithstanding all their vileness 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 383 

and innumerable crimes, the grand masters, or members 
of the first order were regarded as demi-gods, and they 
were treated with a corresponding degree of veneration 
by the common people." 

" Then, of course, they took the best of care of them 
on their frequent visits ? " 

" They did, indeed. Wherever the Areois landed, they 
proceeded to the nearest Marae, and offered a sacrifice of 
a sucking pig to the god who presided over it, this sacri- 
fice being in the first place a thank-offering to the god 
for their safe landing, and in the next a notification that 
they wanted pigs for themselves. Partly, no doubt, on 
account of the terror inspired by their numbers and 
unanimity, but more particularly on account of the feel- 
ing I have mentioned, and of the spread of their very 
intelligible doctrines, the invitation always met with an 
immediate response, and great numbers of pigs, together 
with vegetable-food, cloth, kava, and other luxuries were 
produced. A great feast was then held, during which 
the peculiar doctrines of the society were carried out to 
the full, and a scene ensued such as cannot be described." 

"From what source did they recruit their ranks main- 
ly ? " asked Chester ; " was the fraternity confined to any 
particular grade in society ? " 

" No," was the reply, " it was composed of individuals 
from every class." 

" I suppose the admission of a new member was 
attended with a variety of singular ceremonies ? " 

" Yes ; and a protracted novitiate followed. It was 
^inly by progressive advancement that any were admitted 
to the higher degrees and distinctions." 

" Still, taking everything into consideration, the 
natural inclinations of the people, and the many privi- 
leges conceded to the Areois, I should think they must 
have been overcrowded with memberSo" 
J6*- 



384 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

" There were en(jiigh of them no doubt, — in fact, far too 
many ; but it was generally imagined that those who 
became Areois were inspired to do so by the gods. 
Therefore when anyone wished to Ijc admitted to the 
society, he repaired to some puJilic exhibition they v\-ere 
giving, in an apparent state of mental aberration, wear- 
ing a girdle of yellow plantain or ti leaves round his 
loins ; his face stained with mati, or scarlet dye ; his 
brow decorated with plaited cocoanut leaves ; his hair 
perfumed with powerfully scented oil, and ornamented 
with a profusion of fragrant flowers. Thus arrayed, he 
rushed through the assembled crowd, and leaping into 
the circle of Areois, joined with seeming frantic wildness 
in the dance. This was considered an indication of his 
desire to become a member of the order ; and, if approved, 
he was appointed to wait upon the avce pari. After a 
considerable time, during which he was closely watched, 
if it was thought he would make a desirable member, and 
if he still persisted in his purpose, he was admitted to 
the first or lowest degree, with all the usual rites and 
observances." 

" But like all good men, favored of the gods, these 
precious Areois had to die, at last," said Eugene. 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " and when death 
occurred naturally, a number of most singular ceremo- 
nies were performed. But as the existence of children 
born among them could not be recognized, so, by a simi- 
lar convenient fiction, all Areois were presumed to be in 
the full vigor of human life. Consequently, the possi- 
bility of age and debility was ignored, and in order to 
prove the non-existence of either senility or sickness, any 
old or feeble person was quietly buried alive. The vic- 
tims were never apprised of their fate, as was the case in 
Fiji, but a grave being dug surreptitiously, the infirm 
person was decoyed to it on some pretense or other, 



TAHITI, OK SOCIETY ISLANDS. 385 

dropped into it, the earth flung on him, and stamped 
down ahnost before he had time for a remonstrance. 

" Sometimes, when provisions did not come in to them 
as abundantly as they desired, they had a strange way of 
supplying themselves. A party of them, led by a grand 
master, perhaps, whose rank was known by the marks 
tattooed on his body, would visit a house where they saw 
evidence of prosperity, and look about until they came 
upon a little boy — an easy matter enough in Tahiti in 
those days. They would then take the child, and go 
through various ceremonies, by which they represented 
him as having been raised to kingly rank. They would 
then simulate the utmost deference to the new king, 
place him on an elevated seat, prostrate themselves 
before him, and appeal to him as though he really held 
the exalted position, ' We have come to the king's abode, 
poor, naked, and hungry. We need raiment — give us 
that piece of cloth. We need food — give us that pig.' 
Accordingly, the father of the child was forced to fall in 
with their humor, and, in return for the honor conferred 
upon his house, to give them whatever they demanded." 

" They must have been a fearful burden to the commu- 
nity," said the Captain. 

" They were, indeed," assented the Professor. 

" But," said Chester, thoughtfully, " they must have 
had some redeeming quality ; it is impossible to believe 
otherwise." 

" The only redeeming point I know of," rejoined the 
Professor, " was their value in keeping up the old histori- 
cal traditions of the islands. The food and clothing 
which they obtained from the various people were paid 
for by the dramatic performances and recitations which 
they gave, and which, debased as they were by the licen- 
tious element which permeated every section of the 
society, performed toward their local history the same 



386 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

part which the ancient mysteries did toward the Chris- 
tian religion. The Tahitians being unable to read or 
write, and having no mode of recording historical events 
except by tradition, these performances rendered, as it 
were, history visible, and enacted before the eyes of the 
illiterate people the deeds of days long gone by.'.' 

" But, Professor," said Chester, " was this society pecul- 
iar to the Tahitian Islands ? " 

" Probably not. I am inclined to believe, however, that 
it was not so wide-spread as some writers have thought. 
Certainly no traces of it, are to be found among our friends 
the Marquesans, or the Hawaiians ; Init the Catholic mis- 
sionaries found an institution bearing a striking resem- 
blance to it among the natives of the Caroline and Ladrone 
Islands. They were there called uritoy ; which, omitting 
the t, would not be much unlike areoi ; a greater differ- 
ence, as I can readily shoAV you, exists in the pronuncia- 
tion of words known to be radically the same. But one 
thing is quite certain, if this remarkable institution was 
not confined to the Tahitian and neighboring islands, it 
appears to have been patronized and carried to a greater 
extent there than anywhere else in the Pacific." 

" I have seen it stated. Professor," said Eugene, " that 
the Tahitians were in the habit of making human sacri- 
fices. Did they do this to any great extent ? " 

" Not to so great an extent as some of their neighbors," 
was the reply ; " but far too much blood was shed in this 
way, I am sorry to say." 

" What were the occasions for the sacrifices ? " asked 
Chester. 

" They were various," returned the Professor ; " for 
instance, at the funerals of high chiefs and other great 
men, human sacrifices were often made, and near the 
large whattas, or platforms, on which the pigs and other 
provisions were offered, there were always numbers of 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 387 

hiimaii skulls, each a relic of a human sacrifice. Then, 
in times of war, the captured enemies were offered to the 
idols. There was a sort of excuse for this act, it might 
seem, the idea being that, as the captives had sought the 
lives of the worshipers of the gods, their own lives should 
be sacrificed to them as an atonement for their presump- 
tion. There were, however, other occasions on which 
such sacrifices were offered, and where the victim was 
selected by the chief and killed in cold blood. If, for 
example, the king or principal chief of an island or dis- 
trict had decided on war against another, he generally- 
sacrificed a man to his god in order to bespeak his aid 
against the enemy. Captain Cook mentions such a case. 
It appears that Towha, the chief of his district, intended 
to make war against the island of Eimeo or Moorea, and 
sent a message to his friend and relative Otoo that he 
had sacrificed a man, and wished for his presence when 
the body was offered at the great marae of Attahooroo. 
Cook asked permission to accompany Otoo, and they set 
out together, taking with them a half-starved dog, which 
was to form part of the sacrifice. 

" The victim had been killed unawares, by a blow from 
a stone, as was their usual custom, and when Otoo and 
his guest arrived at the landing place, they found the 
body already there, lying in a canoe which was half in 
and half out of the water, just in front of the marae. 
They halted at some little distance, while the first part 
of the ceremonies were being performed. 

" After many prayers and mumblings, and the use of 
quantities of red feathers and plantain leaves, some of 
which were thrown into the canoe, the body was taken 
out and laid upon the beach, with the feet to the sea. 
The priests placed themselves around it, some sitting and 
others standing ; and one or more of them repeated sen- 
tences for about ten minutes. The dead body was then 



388 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 



uncovered hy removing the leaves and Ijranches which 
had been thrown over it, and laid in a parallel direction 
along the seashore. 




" One of the priests then, standing at the feet, muttered 
a long prayer, in which he was at times joined by the 
others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red feathers. 



TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 389 

In the course of this prayer a quantity of hair was pulled 
from the head of the corpse, and the left eye was taken 
out. These, after being presented to Otoo, were, together 
with a tuft of feathers, given to the priests. 

" The body was then carried a short distance, with the 
head toward the marae, and laid under a tree, near. which 
were fixed three thin pieces of wood, rudely carved. 
Two bundles of cloth were laid on a part of the marae, 
and tufts of red feathers were placed at the feet of the 
corpse, round which the priests took their stations ; all 
were then allowed to go as near as they pleased. 

" The chief-priest, who sat at a short distance, then 
spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones 
and gestures; so that he seemed often to expostulate 
with the dead man — to whom he constantly addressed 
himself — and of whom he sometimes asked questions, 
seemingly with regard to the propriety of his having 
been killed. At other times he made demands, as if 
the deceased now had divine power himself, or interest 
with the divinity, and urged him to deliver Eimeo, Ma- 
heine its chief, the hogs, women, and other good things 
of the island, into their hands, — which, indeed, was the 
express intention of the sacrifice. He then chanted a 
long prayer, in a whining, melancholy tone, accompanied 
by two other priests, and in which several chiefs joined. 
In the course of this prayer more hair was plucked by a 
priest from the head of the corpse, and laid upon one of 
the bundles. After this there was more praying and 
whining, and then all the tufts of feathers were laid upon 
the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this 
place. 

" The body was next carried up to the most conspicu- 
ous part of the marae, with the feathers, the two bundles 
of cloth, and two drums, which beat slowly. The feathers 
and bundles were laid against a pile of stones, and the 
corpse at the foot of them. The priests having again 



390 TAHITI, OR SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

seated themsches round it, renewed their prayers, while 
some of the attendants dug a. hole about tv/o feet deej), 
into which they threw the victim, and covered him over 
with earth and stones. 

" Meantime, a fire having been made, the half-starved 
dog was produced, killed, and offered as a sacrifice. 
Then there were more prayers, more whining, more 
feathers and plantain leaves used, and more drum beat- 
ing ; and then the ceremonies were over for the day. 

" The next morning the ceremonies were resumed ; 
several pigs and dogs were killed, gifts were laid upon 
the movable house in which the atua was carried about, 
and a young plantain tree was plucked up and laid at 
the feet of the king. The mysterious bundles of cloth 
which had been laid on the marae were then unrolled, 
and out of one was taken the sacret maro, or royal girdle, 
and out of the other the idol to whom the sacrifices had 
been made. Another hog was then killed, and the en- 
trails carefully inspected ; and the ceremony ended with 
rolling up the atua, together with a number of scarlet 
feathers, in the bundle of cloth from which it had been 
taken." 

" Strange that men, even savages, could ever have been 
so foolish, and so cruel," commented Eugene. 

" The only redeeming point about these sacrifices," 
said the Professor, " was, that the victim was quite un- 
conscious of his fate. He was struck to the ground 
suddenly by an assassin who came stealthily upon him, 
and never felt the real bitterness of death ; namely, the 
dread of the coming fate." 

" All very well, I suppose, as a redeeming point," mut- 
tered Eugene ; "• but I 'm glad they do n't do that sort of 
thing in Tahiti now." 

" So are Ave all," smiled the Professor, as he started to 
his teet, " And now, I think, wc have had enough of 
Tahiti and the Tahitians for to-day." 



CHAPTER XXII. 
TAHITI — SAVAGE ISLAND. 

A FEW days later, while our friends were still 
lingering at the breakfast table, Mr. Morgan 
entered the saloon, and quietly said : 

" Gentlemen, I have something to show you. Please 
come on deck." 

Eugene immediately started to his feet and hurried 
toward the companion-way. The others followed, and 
soon all were on deck. 

" There !" exclaimed the mate, pointing to an object 
looming before them on the starboard quarter, " what do 
you think of that?" 

"An island!" cried Eugene; "is it Tahiti?" 

" No," rejoined Mr. Morgan, " it is Moorea or Eimeo ; 
but you can plainly see Tahiti off the port quarter." 

No one turned in that direction. All gazed with rapt 
attention on the seemingly growing island, off' to the 
right. 

The picture it presented was indeed wonderfully, weird- 
ly grand. Its lofty mountain range, its cloud-capped 
peaks — huge basaltic pinnacles of most fantastic shape 
— towering from out the sea of billowy white clouds 
which drifted around those blackened crags, while below 
the cloud canopy lay deep ravines, smothered in densest 
foliage, extending right down to the gray, restless sea, 
which broke in thunder on the reef. No wonder they 
were fascinated. 

But soon the picture began to recede, and Tahiti ' grew 
before them on the other quarter. With what feelings 

(391) 



392 TAHITI. 

they approached this interesting isle, after all they had 
learned of its beauty and history, the reader can judge. 

In due time, having passed by a narrow opening through 
the barrier-reef, they left the great tossing waves outside, 
and found themselves in the calm harbor, where they 
speedily came to anchor. There were a number of ves- 
sels in the port, including a French man-of-war, a Chilian 
bark, a British ship, and three American crafts, but the 
Rover was not among them. 

Gazing with interest toward the land, they beheld fine 
massive mountains rising from a great gorge beyond the 
town of Papiete — an attractive little place, with houses 
all smothered in foliage, lovely to look upon, being chiefly 
hibiscus and bread-fruit. 

But the captain and his impatient passengers lost no 
time in getting ashore ; and naturally, the first person 
they sought out was the American consul. He gave them 
a cordial reception, and at once invited them to remain to 
dinner. 

" Tell us first," said Captain Bradford, eagerly, " if 
you know anything about the Rover, an American built 
schooner, owned and commanded by a man calling him- 
self Thompson." 

The consul reflected for a moment, and then said : 

" I have no direct knowledge of the craft, or the man 
you mention ; but if you will stay with me, I think I can 
introduce you to a gentleman who can tell you something 
about them." 

"And who may that be?" asked Eugene, quickly. 

"A Connecticut Yankee, Captain Joseph Beach of the 
Mansfield. He brought out Waterbmy watches, sewing- 
machines, telephones, and Yankee notions generally; and 
is taking in a cargo of arrowroot, cocoanut oil, pearl- 
oyster shells, and a little sugar and coffee." 

"What! and can he make such a voyage pay?" asked 
Chester in surprise. 



TAHITI. . 393 

" Pay ! yes indeed," replied the consul ; but, mind you, 
lie makes a regular trading voyage of it, and this is n't 
the only group he visits, by any means." 

"Ah ! I see now/' zsdd the Captain, " he has run across 
our man among the Marquesas, or the Paumotou's or 
some of the islands to the north of us." 

" Most likely," assented the consul ; " but you will 
know all about it at dinner time." Then suddenly : " Do 
you make a long stop at Tahiti ? " 

" That depends altogether on the news we hear of the 
Hover," answered the Captain. 

" Ah ! I hope you will hear the right kind of news, 
then, — the news that will keep you here, I mean." 

" You are very kind," said the Captain ; " but why 
particularly ? " 

" Because, in that case, you can join a little party that 
is about to set out on a tour of the island." 

" You do n't say so," exclaimed Eugene, enthusiastically. 

" Yes. And it is a rare chance, I can tell you," pur- 
sued the consul. " A high French official. Colonel Moli^re, 
is to be of the party, as well as Captain Beech, who, be- 
tween ourselves, I fancy, adds somewhat to the Colonel's 
income. Then there will be a native chief, nominally on 
the Governor's staff, along, and some others, including 
several ladies, and myself. I tell you, my friends, under 
no other circumstances could you see either the country or 
the people to such advantage." 

" I, for one, appreciate that fact, I am sure," said 
Eugene quickly. 

'' So do Ave all, I think," said the Captain ; " and if it 
does n't prove to be inconsistent with the main purpose 
of the voyage, I should be glad to join the party." 

" So should we all," added the Professor, warmly. 

" "Well, my friends, we will hope for the best," said the 



394 TAHITI. 

consul, cliccifully. " And now, let us join the ladies," 
and he led the way to the parlor. 

Here they were presented to Mrs. Hamilton, the con- 
sul's wife, Mrs. and Miss Kilbourn, her sister and niece, 
and to Mrs. Beach, the wife of the Captain, who had 
been spending a day or two at the consulate. They were 
all attractive American ladies, but the last named was a 
marvel of womanly grace and beauty ; and the gentle- 
men from the Albatross were at once strongly prepossessed 
in her favor. 

Some time was now passed in agreeable conversation, 
when, at length, the commander of the 3IansJield was 
announced. He was a man of about the middle height, 
sparely built, of light complexion, full beard and mus- 
tache, and what is rather remarkable in a sea-faring man, 
quite near-sighted. 

"Ah! Captain," exclaimed Mr. Hamilton, starting 
toward him ; " we have been waiting quite impatiently 
for you." 

"Waiting for me?" repeated the new-comer, as he 
adjusted his glasses, " it is not dinner-time yet." 

" Oh, no, the dinner is all right," said the consul ; " 1)ut 
I have several friends here who are anxious to make 
your acquaintance, — ^ friends from your part of the 
world, too, if I am not mistaken. This way. Captain. 
Professor Singleton, whose name must be familiar to you, 
Mr. Chester Pierpoint, of good old New England stock, 
Mr. Eugene Pierpoint, his brother, and Captain James 
Bradford, of the Albatross.''^ 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the new comer, " the beautiful steam 
yacht that came in two or three hours ago. Glad to know 
you, gentlemen. Captain, I am delighted to meet you. A 
pretty craft, indeed, that of yours." 

" They don't make them any better," said the com- 
mander of the Albatross, with pardonable pride. 



TAHITI. 395 

" I '11 swear to that, without having set foot on her 
deck," returned Captain Beach. Then abruptly : " How 
long do you remain in port ? " 

" That depends somewhat on you, I think." 

"On me?" 

" On the information we hope to obtain from you," 
explained Captain Bradford. 

" What information, I should like to know ? " asked the 
other. 

" You have fallen in with the schooner Kover^ recently ? " 

" The Rover ; Thompson master ; I remember." 

" Where was she when you came across her ? " 

" Off the Scilly Islands. I was bound for Raiatea, and 
the schooner for Aitutaki." 

" Aitutaki ? " repeated Eugene, inquiringly, 

" Yes, sir ; one of the Hervey group, you know." 

" Ah, yes, Hervey or Cook's Islands," said the Pro- 
fessor. 

" Exactly," assented Captain Beach. 

" And when was this ? " asked the commander of the 
Albatross. 

" Only a week or so ago," was the reply. 

" And from Aitutaki he was bound where ? " 

" To Raratonga, and Rurutu, of the Australs, then he 
was coming here." 

" And that would bring him here about when ? " asked 
Chester. 

Captain Beach considered. 

" In eight or ten days," he said at last. 

" Eight or ten days ! " exclaimed Eugene, in a tone of 
relief. 

" Ah ! but will he come ? " asked Chester, doubtfully. 

" Will he come ? " repeated Captain Beach. " Why, of 
course he will. I brought certain goods here for him, 
and left them in the hands of his agents. I also ordered 
supplies to be in readiness for him here. I tell you he 



396 TAHITI. 

will be at Papiete in just aljout ten days, possibly a day 
or two earlier." 

" Then he Avon't get here inside of a week ? " said 
Eugene, inquiringly. 

" Not an hour short of eight days, sir ; my word 
for it." 

"When does your party start, Mr. Hamilton?" asked 
Chester, turning to the consul. 

" To-morrow ; — is n't it to-morrow, Captain ? " 

" What ! will these gentlemen go with us ?" exclaimed 
Captain Beach, in a tone of satisfaction. 

" I think we will," smiled the Professor, " if you will 
kindly accept of our company." 

" Accept of your company ? well, I should say so ! " 

" Then, if the tour will not last longer than a week — '' 

" We' shall be back in Papiete this day week, that you 
may count on," interrupted Captain Beach. 

" Then we will go with you," said the Professor. 

" Good ! you'll not regret it." 

" We feel sure of that in advance," said Eugene, 
earnestly. 

" You don't know how much satisfaction your decision 
gives me," began the consul. "Really, I — " 

" Dinner is served." 

It was a discreet looking French servant who made the 
announcement ; and Mr. Hamilton, cutting himself short, 
marshaled his goodly company to the dining-room. 

During the progress of the meal. Captain Beach once 
more alluded to the Albatross, and with evident pleasure, 
dwelt on her many fine points. Her commander, much 
flattered by his praise, invited the whole company off to 
visit her and to take tea on board. The invitation was 
eagerly accepted, and soon after dinner the party repaired 
to the yacht, where they spent a most delightful evening. 

The next morning was bright and beautiful, even for 



TAHITI. ■ 397 

Tahiti ; and as it had been decided that they should make 
an early start, the party from the Albatross was on shore 
very soon after daylight. But they were obliged to pos- 
sess their souls with patience for a time, for the all-impor- 
tant French official had not yet breakfasted, and it was 
impossible to begin the journey without him. He did 
not keep them long waiting, however, and soon after 
seven o'clock they were off. 

There were all the individuals mentioned by Mr. Ham- 
ilton, including the ladies of his own household, Mrs. 
Beach, and one or two friends of Colonel Moliere, together 
with the four gentlemen from the Albatross, and yet, 
though they were so large a party, everything during the 
tour was admirably arranged, and there was always good 
accommodation provided. 

Each district possesses a large district house — a man- 
eaba, in fact — built for public purposes. Like all the 
native buildings, they consist chiefly of a heavy thatch 
roof, rounded at both ends, supported on a mere frame- 
work of posts, and leaving the sides all open, save at 
night, when they are hung with cloth reaching nearly to 
the ground. Unlike the maneabas of other groups, they 
generally have good wooden floors, often smooth enough 
to dance on. In these public buildings their meals were 
usually prepared, and their night-quarters arranged ; and 
Chester and Eugene were especially pleased with the beds 
provided for them — very large and soft, stuffed with the 
silky tree-cotton ; liberal pillows, real mosquito-netting 
and light curtains tied back with ribbons, and such taste- 
ful coverlets of patchwork — truly fine specimens of Ta- 
hitian skill ; those most common have crimson patterns 
on a white ground ; the designs are highly effective. The 
native women pride themselves on their snowy linen and 
downy pillows — one good thing they have learned of the 
foreigners. 



398 TAHITI. 

The island is divided into twenty districts, and it was 
arranged thej should visit at least three each day, and 
when it was possible, four, thus bringing them back to 
their starting point within the week, without encroaching 
on the Sabbath. They were to start each morning, not 
later than seven o'clock, and drive seven or eight miles 
to the central village of the next district and take posses- 
sion of the maneaba, where they would breakfast, then, 
after a stroll, to see the sights in the neighborhood, while 
Colonel Moliere and Captain Beach were looking after their 
important business interests, they were to drive on to the 
next district and lunch, and at the third halting-place 
they were to take the principal meal of the day, and 
usually pass the night. 

On the first day Colonel Moliere, Captain and Mrs. 
Beach, and Captain Bradford occupied the leading car- 
riage ; Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton, Professor Singleton, and 
Tana, the native chief, the second; Mrs. and Miss Kil- 
bourn, and Chester and his brother the third, and other 
members of the party filled two or three more, while a 
few preferred riding, and were mounted on very fair 
specimens of island horseflesh. 

They drove through sections of the country which 
seemed like one vast orchard of mango, bread-fruit, 
banana, faes, large orange trees, lemons, guavas, citrons, 
papaws, vanilla, coffee, sugar-cane, maize, and cocoanut 
palms, together forming a succession of the richest and 
most varied foliage it is possible to conceive. 

Sometimes they counted such few trees as they noticed 
that were not fruit-bearing, but even they were, for the 
most part, fragrant with blossoms. Here and there the 
broad grass roads were edged with tall plantains, very 
handsome in a dead calm, but too delicate to endure the 
rough wooing of the trade winds, which tear the huge 
leave to ribbons, and give the roads an untidy appearance. 



TAHITI, 399 

They halted at yarioiis points, and about ten o'clock 
reached Punavia, a lovely spot on the seashore, at the 
entrance to a beautiful valley, above which towers a grand 
mountain peak. A ruined French fort on the shore and 
two forts in fair condition further up the valley, recalled 
to Chester and Eugene all they had heard of the days 
when Tahiti made her brave but unavailing struggle for 
independence. 

Here a meal was prepared for them after the native 
fashion, and the brothers met with their first opportunity 
to taste of raw fish, which is considered a very great deli- 
cacy, and one, so Mr. Hamilton informed them, for which 
many foreigners acquire a strong liking. Tana, who had 
taken a great liking to Eugene, tried hard to teach him 
this enjoyment, but without success. 

During the meal, and often afterwards while they were 
eating, the natives drew near and favored them with 
many strange and beautiful songs ; and sometimes they 
would treat them to a dance, but only the upa wpa^ no- 
where did they see the outrageous dance of the Areois, 
though they were told that after long years of discontinu- 
ance, through the influence of the French, it had been 
in a measure revived, and though the more respectable 
natives considered it objectionable, that a certain number 
of dancers were to be found in every village. Their 
position, however, Mr. Hamilton said, appeared to be 
no higher than that of second or third-rate actors in 
America. 

The young girls they saw here, and in other villages, 
were neatly and tastefully dressed, in garments, without 
exception, cut after the fashion of the sacks worn in this 
^country a hundred or more years ago — that is, a yoke 
on the shoulders from which the shirt falls to the feet 
and trails behind. The effect, as may be imagined, is 
very easy and graceful. It would be impossible to devise 



400 



TAHITI. 



a cooler or more sensible dress, as it only touches the 
neck and shoulders, and, very loosely, the arms. The 
one under-garment is low-necked, short sleeved, and of 
such a length as to form a sweeping skirt, thus combin- 
ing chemise and petticoat in one article of raiment. 




After a halt of a little more than two hours they 
resumed their drive over the romantic road of firm green 
turf which folloAvs the course of the shore, and affords 



TAHITI. 401 

at every turn a living picture of delight. On the one 
hand, endlessly varied foliage, and magnificent green 
hills towering in strange fantastic form, seamed by dark 
valley and crystal streams ; and on the other side lay the 
calm, glittering lagoon, reflecting, as in a mighty mirror, 
the great masses of white cloud, and bounded by the long 
line of breakers flashing as they dashed on the barrier- 
reef. Beyond these lay outspread the vast Pacific, its 
deep and changing blue, dashed with white crests, telling 
how briskly the winds blew outside ; and, far on the hori- 
zon, the lofty peaks of Eimeo, the isle that had so fascin- 
ated them the day before, rose clear and beautiful, robed 
in ethereal purple. 

They halted for the night at a lovely village, situated 
on the banks of a swiftly-flowing stream, whose clean and 
comfortable houses were only divided from the white 
coral sand by a belt of green turf and rows of stately 
trees. The pride of the village was its maneaba, or pub- 
lic house. Here they found dinner awaiting them, and 
all sat down with good appetites. The building was 
decorated in Tahitian style, with palm-leaves and tree- 
ferns, and festoons of deep fringe, made of hibiscus fiber, 
all dyed either j^ellow or white. 

After dinner they strolled about, and found enchanting 
bathing-pools in some of the many crystalline streams, of 
which they crossed no less than twenty-five each day. 
Then they found the village girls, and induced them to 
sing, while they sat listening, entranced, on the beautiful 
seashore, in the calm and perfect moonlight. 

On the following morning they were all astir at an 

early hour, and started immediately after a slight repast, 

which was to serve them till breakfast-time. The whole 

village was up to see them off and wish them god-speed ; 

and Eugene, as a pretty girl addressed him for'the second 

or third time, declared to his brother, with much earnest- 
17 



402 TAHITI, 

ness and sincerity, that there was certainly a great charm 
in the liquid language, and in the gentle, affectionate 
manner of the people, who seemed (o be overflowing with 
genial kindness. 

Less than two hours brought them to the next district, 
where they breakfasted. Here, extensive cultivation had 
somewhat changed the appearance of wild nature, large 
tracts of land having been laid out for careful planting of 
cotton and coffee, and, after all, the fields had been aban- 
doned ; the crops, left to run wild, were now rank, strag- 
gling bushes, struggling for life with the overmastering 
vines, or with the wild guava, which, having once been 
imported as a fruit-tree, has now become the scourge of 
the planters, from the rapidity and tenacity with whicTi 
it spreads and takes possession of the soil. At the same 
time, as the Professor very truly remarked, a tree which 
yields wholesome and abundant food for man and beast 
cannot be said to be altogether an evil. 

" What is it that so interests you, my friend ? " asked 
Mr. Hamilton, as he noticed a thoughtful expression on 
the Professor's face, as he sat in the maneaba and gazed 
over the surrounding landscape. 

" I" was thinking," replied the Professor, " that it is not 
often civilization improves the picturesque beauty of a 
country ; but, assuredly, the lovely hills and valleys of 
Tahiti and the neighboring isles have greatly gained in 
richness by the introduction of the fruit-bearing trees, 
which now form so important a feature in the general 
wealth of foliage." 

" You are right, sir," said the consul. " The dense 
thickets of orange-trees you see on every hand have all 
grown from those brought from Sidney by Mr. Henry, 
one of the early missionaries." 

" I have heard as much," said the Professor. 

"Yes," continued Mr. Hamilton; " and, strange as it 



TAHITI. 403 

may seem, the most healthy trees are those which have 
grown, self-sown, from the seed carelessly thrown a"3Ca« 
by the natives when they stole away to these quiet r:^^ 
leys to brew their orange rum in secret." 

"The people are indebted to the French for iio-.o. 
splendid trees, are they not ?" asked the Professor, ta ha 
indicated several large mango-trees, whose mass of dvjik 
foliage was a prominent feature on all sides. 

" Yes, sir," answered the consul, " the French intro- 
duced them about twenty years ago, and, I assure you, 
they have taken infinite trouble to procure all the very 
best varieties, and have succeeded to perfection." 

" They deserve credit for so much, then." 

" Yes, and for much more besides," said the consul. 

The party was detained for some two or three hours afc 
this place, as the captain of the Mansfield and his French 
ally had certain important matters to attend to. But 
the other visitors were not idle ; the Professor and the 
ladies strolled through the fragrant orange groA^es, while 
the Captain, Chester, and Eugene walked along the coast 
till they found a. delightful bathing place, where a broad 
river flows into the sea. Three or four pretty girls, as a 
matter of course, bore them company, one of whom was 
laden with pareos and towels ; the pareo being simply a 
couple of fathoms of bright-colored calico, which, knotted 
over one shoulder, forms an efficient and picturesque, 
bathing-gown. 

Their next stopping-place was Papeooriri, and they 
arrived just in time for a magnificent fish dinner, such as 
they had never tasted or even dreamed of in America - 
fish of all sorts and kinds, cooked and raw, to suit all 
tastes, — -excellent lobsters and crabs, huge fresh-water 
pr.iwns, delicate little oysters, which grow on the roots 
and branches of the mangrove, which fringes some muddy 
parts of the shore ; but most excellent of all was another 



404 TAHITI. 

product of the In'iny mud, altogether new to the party 
from the Albatross : a hideous, Ijut truly delicious, white 
.cray-fish, called by the natives varo, or wurrali. 

They all registered a solemn vow never to lose a 
chance of a varo feast, and it is but fair to state that 
they religiously kept the vow. . 

That night they stopped at a village some six miles 
further on ; and the brothers having received an invita- 
tion to sleep in a private house, and anxious to improve 
every opportunity for acquiring a practical knowledge of 
the country and people, accepted. The house ].)cing 
purely Tahitian, and not built of wood, as so many now 
are, they felt as though they were cooped up in a bamboo 
cage, the chief features of which were extreme airiness 
and transparency. But having procured a quantity of 
white cotton cloth, they lined the sides with it, and so 
screened themselves from the general public. 

On the following day they crossed the ridge which con- 
nects the peninsula with the main island. They drove 
to one end of it, ate there, then retraced the road to 
the isthmus, as there is no passable road round the 
further end. The scenery here was, if possible, lovelier 
than on the great isle, and they spent some time strolling 
about the shore and visiting the many villages of bird- 
cage houses with kindly people, who seemed never weary 
of showing them attentions. The houses were embow- 
ered in large-leaved bananas and orange groves, and 
were gay with rosy oleanders and crimson hibiscus. 
The best singers of Tahiti were those they heard on the 
peninsula. 

The next day was much like those which had preceded 
it, as they made their way round the other side of the 
isle, always by the same delightfully romantic grass road, 
with long hours of calm sunlight, followed by .clear 
moonlight. At Tiarei they were warmly welcomed by 



TAHITI. 405 

Tana's friends, and bountifully supplied with food. Then, 
after an hour's rest, they hastened on. A most lovely 
drive along a basaltic shore, the road being cut on the 
face of the cliffs, brought them to Papenoo, which is 
close to a broad, clear river, where, of course, they bathed, 
then rambled in the soft moonlight, and sat on the shore, 
where the rippling waves murmured on a pebbly beach. 

The chief of the district gave up one half of his com- 
paratively large house to Colonel Moli^re, who shared it 
with the brothers, the chief and his family occupying the 
other end. Of course, it was really one large room, but 
travelers in Polynesia soon learn the art of rigging up 
curtains, and so improvising separate quarters. 

On the night of their return to Papiete there was a 
grand ball at the governiiient house, which all attended 
and heartily enjoyed, and thus their week's excursion 
was brought to a close. 

It was now eight days since the Albatross had come to 
anchor in the harbor of the pretty town, and with the 
exception of what they had learned from Captain Beach, 
nothing whatever had been heard or seen of the Mover. 

Three days longer they waited. The brothers, some- 
times accompanied by the Professor and Captain Brad- 
ford, sometimes by Mr. Hamilton and Captain Beach, 
and again by Jasper Morgan or Seth Cook, improved the 
delay -by making short excursions into the neighboring 
valleys or up the mountain sides. On the evening of the 
third day, when Morgan had been their companion, on 
reaching the town, they called, as usual, at the consulate. 

Mr. Hamilton was in his office, and with him were 
Captains Beach and Bradford, Professor Singleton, and 
a stranger. 

Mr. Hamilton turned to the brothers, as they entered. 

" Ah ! " he said, " here are the young men now," and 
as the stranger turned quickly toward them : " Gentle- 
men, this is Daniel Kirby, mate of the Hover." 



406 SAVAGE ISLAND. 

"Mate of the Rover!''' repeated the brothers, in a 
breath. 

The stranger bowed an assent. 

" Yes," said the consul, " no less a personage, I assure 
you." 

" Then the schooner is in port ? " said Eugene eagerly. 

'• She came to anchor three hours ago," was the reply. 

" Is our uncle here ? " asked Chester. 

Mr. Hamilton shook his head slowly. 

'• How's that ? " demanded Eugene, turning quickly to 
Rirby. 

" We left him on Savage Island," said the mate. " He 
"was n't well, and besides, by staying there he could do a 
good thing buying up pearl-oyster shells." 

" Then you are to return for him ? " said Chester 
inquiringly. 

" No ; I am to meet him at one of the Samoa Islands, 
or at Tonga." 

" How soon ? " 

" I shall sail for Upolu as soon as I can discharge the 
portion of my cargo I am to leave here and take in my 
stores." 

" Then," said Captain Bradford, quickly, " you expect 
the owner of the Rover may be at Upolu about a week 
hence." 

" Yes ; unless he goes direct to Tonga," said the mate. 

" How is he to get to either place ? " 

" By a small trading vessel now in those waters." 

" I see." 

'" Savage Island," exclaimed Eugene, after a moment's 
silence ; " what kind of a place is that for a Christian to 
Ibe stopping at, I 'd like to know ?" 

" A very good place, indeed," said Captain Beach, " if 
lie wants to make a little money, and get a fresh hand or 
two before tlie mast. I have one of them now." 



SAVAGE ISLAND. 407 

" You have been there, then ? " asked Eugene, with 
interest. 

" Yes, sir ; and not long since," replied the Captain. 

" Then the people are not so savage as the name of 
their island would seem to imply ? " 

" Bother the name ; that is, the one you refer to. The 
right name is Nine ; and the Niuans are about as sensible 
a people as any of the islanders in the Pacific." 

" They have wonderfully improved in the last fifteen 
or twenty years," remarked the Professor. 

" They have, indeed," assented Captain Beach. " They 
have discarded their old and bad habits, including the 
playful one of murdering all foreigners who happen to 
land on their shores, and now display a wonderful eager- 
ness to be taken as sailors on board our ships. If they 
are refused, they often contrive to smuggle tliemselves on 
board without the knowledge of the captain and crew ; 
and whereas, a few years ago it was hardly possible to 
induce a Niuan to venture on board a ship, the difficulty 
now is, to find a way of keeping them out of the vessels." 

" I had no idea they were such a people," said Eugene. 
" Just where does their island lie ? " 

" Between the Harvey and the Tongan groupSj" an- 
swered Captain Beach. 

" How did it get the name Savage Island ? " 

" Captain Cook so called it, I am told, on account of 
the behavior of the natives, who not only declined his 
overtures of peace, but attacked him ' like so many wild 
boars.' " 

" Why, what was the matter with them ? " 

" That 's more than I can tell you," smiled the Captain. 

" Their ferocity was due to an ancient custom, to 
which the Captain has just alluded," said the Professor. 
" I mean that of putting to death all strangers who 
landed on their island, a fate from which even their own 



408 SAVAGE ISLAND. 

people did not escape, if tliey had been absent for any 
lengtli of time. But it was fear rather than ferocity that 
was the cause of this savage custom. They had an idea 
that their island was naturally free from disease, and that 
all bodily disorders were brought by foreigners, and they, 
in consequence, had a law that all foreigners should be 
killed as soon as they could be captured." 

" And taking into consideration the untold misery that 
has been brought upon other islanders through their con- 
tact with foreigners," said Eugene, " it seems to me they 
were not so very far out after all." 

" There 's something in that," exclaimed Captain Brad- 
ford. " I begin to think with Captain Beach, that the 
Niuans are a very sensible people." 

" Tell us something more about them. Professor," said 
Eugene. 

" I have seen it stated, somewhere," returned the Pro- 
fessor, " that when Mr. Williams, the missionary, visited 
the island, he induced two boys to go away with him for 
the purpose of being instructed. At first they were 
quite miserable on board the vessel, and howled inces- 
santly, thinking that the white men around them were 
cannibals, and that they were only carried off to be 
fattened and eaten. Finding, however, that the sailors 
were eating pork, and evinced no desire for human flesh, 
they became more contented, and seemed even pleased 
with the prospects before them. They were taken to 
Raietea, and having been educated for teachers, were 
sent home again. Unfortunately, soon after their arrival, 
an epidemic disease spread over the island, and the na- 
tives, naturally attributing it to the returned travelers, 
promptly killed them both." 

" That was pretty hard," said Eugene, " considering 
under what circumstances the poor fellows left the island 
in the first place." 



SAVAGE ISLAND. 409 

" It was indeed," assented the Professor ; " and yet, 
when not blinded by fear, even these savages were capa- 
ble of showing some mercy. A ship was once laying off 
the island, bartering with the natives, when, just as she 
was getting under way, the master threw one of the 
sailors overboard among the islanders, who took him on 
shore, and held a solemn counsel as to the course to be 
pursued. Many were for keeping up the old custom, and 
killing him, but others argued that the man had not 
landed of his own free will, and that he ought not to be 
liable to the usual penalty, even though salt water was in 
his eye — this being the mark of a shipwreck. After a 
great deal of discussion they agreed to a compromise, 
put him into a canoe, gave him a quantity of bananas 
and cocoanuts, towed him out to sea, and set him adrift. 
The man contrived to make his way to the shore again 
unseen, and, after hiding in caves for some time, suc- 
ceeded in getting on board a whaler that was passing, 
and so escaped." 

" I suppose they were all more or less tattooed ? " said 
Eugene, inquiringly. 

" Not a bit of it," returned Captain Beach, quickly, 
" they either knew or cared nothing about it, but they 
were mighty fond of decorating themselves with paint. 
Those who found their way on board vessels were delight- 
ed to be adorned with streaks and spots of red and green 
paint, especially the latter, which was a great novelty to 
them, and for which they were always ready to pay a 
good price. 

" Are they fine looking ? " asked Chester. 

" Not particularly so," was the answer. " They are of 
moderate stature, and, I should say, rather under than 
above the middle height, thus forming a strong contrast 
to the Marquesans and Samoans. The natural color of 
♦ the skin is a clear brown, and their limbs are round and 
well shaped." 
17* 



•^10 SAVAGE ISLAND. 

" I suppose they dress miicli like the other reclaimed 
i'olynesians ?" said Chester, inquiringly. 

"Yes," answered the master of the Mmisfield ; "but 
formerly, I am told, the men thought clothing quite need- 
less, and wore nothing but a belt round the waist." 

" That was true, generally speaking," remarked the 
Professor ; " but some, however, wore a very small apron, 
only ten or twelve inches square, and this was considered 
rather in the light of ornament than of dress." 

" They are fond of ornaments, no doubt," said Eugene. 

" Yes," assented Captain Beach. " I have noticed that 
sometimes they wear the hair very long, and again very 
short, and that this is the case with both sexes. It seems 
they allow it to grow to a considerable length, and when 
it is eighteen or twenty inches long, cut it off, and plait 
it into thin bands which are worn round the waist. The 
men prize these ornaments highly, and. one ship-master 
thinks tha.t the love-locks are exchanged, and are valued 
accordingly. The younger men do not wear their beards, 
but the elders suffer them to grow to a great length, and 
I have seen them plaited, and adorned with pieces of 
oyster or clam shell. Then, too, they understand the art 
of coloring the hair a yellowish red by the application of 
lime, and I have seen many heads of hair so colored." 

"I suppose, for weapons, they had the usual clubs, 
spears, and bows ?" said Chester. 

" Yes," answered the Captain, " and they were well 
and neatly made." 

" They were found of war, no doubt ? " 

" To a certain extent, yes ; but so far as I have been 
able to learn, they were not apt to let their love of war- 
fare and bloodshed take them away from their own 
island. They never attempted the conquest of the isles 
around them ; what fighting they did do was mostly 
carried on among themselves," 



SAVAGE ISLAND. 411 

" It seems a little strange that in an island only thirty 
miles or so in circumference the people could not live in 
peace," said Chester. 

" True," assented the Captain ; " but, you see, in Nine, 
the usual Polynesian custom of dividing an island into 
several districts existed, and among these was perpetual 
feud." 

" You say the Niuans never attempted the conquest of 
other islands," said Eugene; "but was their own ever 
invaded ? " 

" Yes," answered the Captain, " and by the restless 
and daring Tongans, whom they at length repulsed by an 
ingenious stratagem. The Tongans, you must know, 
were possessed of far better weapons, and were better 
disciplined than the Niuans, and being equally coura- 
geous, were rapidly completing the conquest of the 
island, when the natives took advantage of the peculiar 
formation of their country, which is exceedingly rocky, 
and covered with deep and narrow clefts, the result of 
the upheaval which elevated the island above the sea. 
Across one of these the Niuans laid small branches, 
which they covered with banana and cocoanut leaves, 
and then strewed over all a slight covering of earth, 
which they arranged so as to look exactly like the sur- 
rounding soil. They then executed a sham retreat, and 
slipped round to the further side of the chasm, so that the 
Tongans, flushed with victory, rushed on their retreating 
enemies with yells of triumph, and a great many of the 
foremost and best warriors were hurled down to the 
bottom of the cavern. Before the survivors could recover 
from their surprise, an attack was made upon them in 
overwhelming numbers, and of the whole Tongan expe- 
dition not a man escaped alive." 

" The gods favored the right that time," exclaimed 
Eugene, " and I suppose the victors made a right royal 
feast of their fallen foes." 



412 SAVAGE ISLAND. 

" There you are wrong," rejoined the Captain ; " and I 
think it is quite safe to say the Niuans have never tasted 
human flesh. They do not even care for animal food of 
any kind ; that I can state for a fact." 

" But," objected Daniel Kirby, " in that case, what do 
they do with all the pigs they raise ? I never gaw so 
many on any one island before." 

" They use them almost entirely to trade with, when 
vessels visit them, contenting, themselves with bananas, 
yams, taro, and fish. I '11 warrant, now, you yourself 
bought more than one while the Rover lay off the island." 

" That 's so, I must admit," assented the mate. 

" I suppose they turn a good many pigs into liquor," 
suggested Eugene. 

" Not many, I assure you," v.^as the reply. " They seem to 
have no great fondness for liquor ; have never drank kava, 
and stand almost alone in their non-use of tobacco." 

" Good for the Niuans ! " exclaimed Eugene, " I begin 
to think they have very few vices." 

" PoTygamy is still practiced among them," said the 
Captain, " though it is fast dying out under the influence 
01 the missionaries, who have done another good thing 
in discouraging infanticide, which at one time prevailed 
to a fearful extent. The mere check which they have 
placed on this custom has already raised the number of 
the population by almost four hundred — a considerable 
increase when the small size of the island is taken into 
consideration." 

" The missionaries, I should judge, have met with great 
success among them of late years," said Captain Bradford. 

" They have, indeed," returned the master of the Mans- 
field; " but, you see, even before they came, a decent code 
of laws was in existence, so that the Niuans were, in reali- 
ty, much less savage than many of their neighbors, and 
the missionaries had a better ground to work on than in 
other islands of more promising aspect." 



SAVAGE ■island. 413 

** Their standard of morality was much higher than is 
usually the case among savages, I believe ? " suggested 
the Professor. 

" Yes, sir," assented Captain Beach, " infidelity among 
women was uncommon and severely punished. So great 
was their horror of this crime that illegitimate children 
wercalways thrown into the sea until the missionaries 
taught the people that, though the parents might be liable 
to punishment, the innocent children ought not to suffer." 

" What was their mode of punishment?" asked Chester. 

" It consisted, generally, in deprivation of food," an- 
swered the Captain. " For instance, for some offenses, 
the criminal was tied to a post, and allowed no food 
except bitter and acrid fruit ; while for more serious 
offenses he was lashed hand and foot to a bamboo for a 
considerable length of time, only sufficient food being 
given to save him from actually dying of starvation. 
For these punishments, I may remark, the missionaries 
have induced the natives to substitute forced labor in 
well-sinking, road-making, and other useful works." 

" They are born sailors, I should judge from what you 
have told us," said Captain Bradford. 

" Yes, and good boat-builders," returned the other Cap- 
tain. " They construct their canoes very neatly, often 
ornamenting them with devices in shells and mother-of- 
pearl, and they manage them well in the water. As a 
rule they are excellent swimmers; but there are -some 
families living in the interior of the island who, although 
they can be barely four miles from the sea, have never 
visited it, and are greatly despised by their neighbors 
because they can neither swim nor sail a canoe." 

" Only four miles from the sea, and yet never was on 
the shore ! " exclaimed Eugene. " That beats anything 
I ever heard." 

" It's a fact, nevertheless," asserted the Captain. 

" I do n't doubt it, if you say so." 



414 SAVAGE ISLAND. 

" Do the Niuans build good houses ? " asked Chester. 

" They are learning to do so ; in fact, are copying to 
some extent after the Samoans, — ingrafting their style 
on to their own, so that altogether the effect of a modern 
Niuan house is quaint, and at the same time artistic. 
The natives are wonderfully quick at learning, as I have 
the means of knowing, and many of them are aljle to 
read and write. I gained the undying friendship of one 
by giving him a few sheets of paper and a lead-pencil." 

" How do they dispose of their dead ? " asked Chester. 

" They have two ways of doing so," was the answer. 
"When one is followed, the body is taken to the woods 
on a sort of bier and left there until the flesh has decayed, 
when the bones are removed to the family burying-place, 
which is usually a cave in the lime-stone rock. When 
the other method is employed, the body is placed in a 
canoe, and sent adrift on the sea to go wherever the 
winds and waves may carry it." 

" I have heard something about the caves you mention," 
said Chester, " they are many and curious, I believe." 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the Captain, " you should see them, 
they are not only curious, but wonderfully beautiful. 
From the roof hang vast numbers of stalactites, from 
which water continually drops. Indeed, the native owe 
their fresh water almost entirely to these caves, and since 
the missionaries came to reside among them have learned 
to collect it by digging wells in the caverns, into which 
the water flows, and so insures a certain instead of a 
precarious supply. The floor is covered with stalagmitic 
masses, and from these the natives make oval balls, 
which they hurl from the hand with wonderful force and 
accuracy." 

" It is sti^atige that there should be so many caves on 
this one little island," said Eugene. 

" Their existence is evidently due to the character of 
the island," rejoined the Captain. 



SAVAGE ISLAND. 415 

" Without doubt," agreed the Professor, " for it is 
partly coral and partly volcanic, the coral having been 
upheaved by volcanic force, leaving the surface fissured 
and broken by the sudden violence of the shock." 

" The native legend respecting the origin of the island 
points to the same conclusion," said Captain Beach. 
" They say that the island was raised to its present eleva- 
tion by two of their ancestors, named Hananaki and Fao, 
who swam there from Tonga, and found the island only 
just above the waves. They stamped twice upon it, the 
first stamp elevating the island to its present height, and 
the second clothing it with trees and plants. They made 
wives for themselves out of the ti tree, and so the island 
became peopled." 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the Professor, " I am glad you 
related that; for observe, my friends, in this tradition 
we may easily perceive that these people have retained 
the knowledge of two important facts, that the island 
was elevated suddenly from the sea, and that the inhab- 
itants are not aborigines, but emigrants from some other 
part of Polynesia, probably Tonga." 

" They are quite positive on that point," said the 
Captain. 

" And no doubt they are right," returned the Professor. 

" Well, gentlemen, it 's getting quite late," said Captain 
Bradford, suddenly. " Shall we go aboard ? " 

" No, no ! " exclaimed Mr. Hamilton, with energy, 
"you are to stay here to dinner — all of you. The 
whole thing has been arranged." 

The commander of the Albatross looked doubtfully at 
his passengers. 

" Better stay," advised Captain Beach. " You '11 be 
better off than on board the yacht. Besides, I have 
something to say to you after dinner." 

" Well, then, we 'II stay," and so it was settled. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE HERVEY GROUP— THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

THE dinner passed off pleasantly ; and when the 
company had withdrawn to the parlors, and Daniel 
Kirby, on the plea of an engagement, had retired, Cap- 
tain Beach gathered the party from the Albatross about 
him, and said : 

"Now, gentlemen, what you have to do is to be at 
Upolu just a week hence. Well, with such a steamer as 
you have at your command, there will be no trouble about 
that, even if you do not start for several days yet." 

" But — " objected Captain Bradford. 

" Hear me," persisted the master of the Mansfield. 
" These young gentlemen, naturally enough, want to see 
all that 's worth seeing in this part of the Pacific. Xow 
I start for Eimeo at daylight to-morrow. Colonel Mo- 
li^re goes with me. We shall enjoy ourselves and see 
wonders. Why not give a day or two to this pleasure, 
especially as there 's profit in it ? " 

" Oh, do. Captain ! " urged Eugene. 

" I should like it very much, too," said Chester. 

" Well, I do n't know," mused Captain Bradford, " If I 
thought — " 

" Mrs. Beach is very anxious you should go/' broke in 
the master of the Mansfield persistingly ; " and I have 
no doubt Mr. Hamilton and the ladies here would cross 
over in your yacht if you should ask them, and I could 
bring them back, you know." 

Captain Bradford turned to the consul with an inquir- 
ing look. 

(416) 



THE HERVEY GROUP. 417 

" I think we would," smiled Mr. Hamilton, in answer 
to the look. 

" Well, then, as I do n't see how we can lose anything by 
it, we '11 go," said Captain Bradford, decidedly. 

" Good ! " exclaimed Eugene, in a relieved tone ; " and 
I 'm awfully obliged to you, Captain Beach, for suggest- 
ing it." 

" I thought you would like it," smiled the Captain. 

" Well," said the master of the Albatross, after a pause, 
" if we are to leave Papiete early to-morrow, I must go 
aboard now." 

" And so must we," added Chester. " Come, Professor; 
CDme, Eugene." 

" Mr. Hamilton," said the Captain, as they reached the 
door, " I shall expect to see you and the ladies on board 
about seven o'clock. I '11 have a boat at the landing 
for you. 

" Thanks, Captain, we won't keep it waiting," and so 
they parted. 

The consul was as good as his word ; and the Albatross 
landed its party on Eimeo or Moorea before eight o'clock 
the next morning. The Ifansfield, having started earlier, 
was already there, and so, at nine o'clock, the whole com- 
pany set out on their tour of the island. 

Of all the many beautiful isles they had visited, the 
brothers thought Eimeo by far the most delightful. Such 
marvelous basaltic needles and pinnacles, gigantic gray 
forms, like vast serrated shark's teeth, towering in mid- 
air, apparently rising from above the clouds, and the 
lower mountains and valleys clothed with vegetation of 
the same rich character as that of Tahiti. Here their 
transit from one village to another was by boat, all in 
dead calm water, within the coral reef, giving them the 
very best opportunity of seeing the coast to perfection. 

Their first night was spent in the pretty village of 



418 THE HERVEY GROUP. 

Haapiti, where they were warmly received and delight- 
fully entertained. They slept in a large building made 
of palm and bamboo, and entirely thatched with large 
glossy fronds of the great bird's-nest fern. The interior 
was lined with tree-ferns and oleanders, and festooned 
with bright yellow hibiscus fiber. It was lighted with 
Chinese lanterns. The young girls who acted as their 
attendants, each wore a shawl of colored native cloth 
thrown over a robe such as we have already described. 
A lady of rank, who was present to receive them, wore 
a most becoming crown of arrow-root fiber, and plume of 
reva-reva. 

There were many picturesque incidents in the course 
of their brief expedition round Eimeo which will long be 
remembered by our travelers, and there were visions of 
such beauty of sc^iery as could scarcely be surpassed in 
the most enchanting of dreams. One wonderful forest 
of tree-ferns they will not easily forget, and a splendid 
grove of glossy-leaved tamanu-trees will be recalled in 
connection with one of the most delightful days of their 
voyage. 

That tamanu grove, and a few noble old casuarina-trees 
close by, mark the spot where, in heathen days, many a 
human sacrifice was offered to the cruel gods. Now a 
Christian church occupies the site of the ancient Marai, 
and all is peaceful and happy. 

About two miles inland from this village, which is 
called Tiaia, lies a lake, a mile or so in length. It is not 
beautiful, not even ordinarily attractive, its waters being 
brackish and its banks muddy, but Eugene has tender 
and pleasant recollections of the spot, for it contains 
most excellent fish, and wild duck ever haunt its sedgy 
shores. 

They passed the second night at no great distance from 
their anchorage, and early next morning, after bidding a 




TREE-f"EBNS, 



THE HERVEY GROUP. 421 

reluctant farewell to all their new friends, and with many 
expressions of esteem, and hopes that they might meet 
again in the near future, the party from the Albatross 
sprang into the waiting boat and hastened on board. 
The anchor was raised, the screw revolved, and the 
steamer's head was pointed toward Upolu. 

After some three or four hours, Eugene called atten- 
tion to the fact that they would soon be passing the 
Hervey or Cook's Islands. 

" Yes," assented Captain Bradford, " they lie just to 
the south of us." 

" I have often heard the islands mentioned," said 
Chester, " but must confess, I know very little about 
them." 

" And I," said the Professor, " regret that I am unable 
to enlighten you much on the subject." 

" But surely, you can tell us something about them," 
urged Eugene. " Or, perhaps you can. Captain ? " 

" I may be able to give you a little information," 
replied the Captain, " as I once visited them. The group 
includes some ten or more islands, the principal of which 
is Raratonga, the others are Mangaia, Remitera, Aitutaki, 
Anota, Manuai, Takutea, Mitiero, Manki, Hull, and sev- 
eral islets of little account. Raratonga is between thirty 
and forty miles in circumference, and round it extends 
a large reef of coral. Like the islands we have just 
left, it presents the most rich and beautiful appearance. 
The land, as it recedes from the sea, rises to a great 
height, terminating, in the interior, in lofty mountain 
peaks, and is clothed in the brightest green foliage ; the 
sandy beach, washed by the never-ceasing rollers, with 
the pretty white houses quietly reposing beneath the 
thick shade of the myriads of cocoanut, orange, and 
banana trees, renders it one of the most beautiful isl- 
ands of this latitude. As I stood viewing it from the 



422 THE HERVEY GROUP. 

deck of my ship, while diinviiig nearer and nearer, I 
assure you, I experienced the same sense of fascination, 
the same thrills of delight we all felt when first we 
gazed upon Eimeo. 

" There are three considerable villages on the island. 
One is New York, another New Bedford, and the largest, 
which, perhaps, I ought to call a town, is Raratonga." 

" How many inhabitants has it ? " asked Eugene. 

" Not far from nine hundred," was the answer. 

" What did you think of the people ? " asked Chester. 

" Well, from appearances," replied the Captain," they 
are not very cleanly in their persons, and, to tell the 
truth, are rather forbidding. Most of them, however, 
wear European clothing, which they obtain from ships. 
They pretend to be friendly, and endeavor to make them- 
selves familiar, and, as soon as you land, they throng 
about you in the most offensive manner." 

" It 's plain to see you were not much taken with them, 
Captain," laughed Eugene. 

" No," was the reply ; " but I was taken by them, and 
pretty much done for. They are great and persistent 
beggars, and arrant thieves. I think I can hear the uni- 
versal cry that greeted me on landing even now : ' Oh ! 
too much sore my toose ; small piece 'bacca, Cap'n.' I 
tried to shake them off ; no use, I gave it up. With one 
or two others I went for a stroll. The island abounds 
with all kinds of tropical fruit, and having bought what 
we wanted, we sat down to enjoy it ; on rising, we found 
they had stolen all our tobacco, our pocket-knives, our 
handkerchiefs, and, in fact, pretty much everything we 
had about us. Oh, they are a precious set of rascals, I 
can tell you." 

" Why, what is the matter ? " asked Chester. " I 
thought the English were doing a great missionary work 
on the island." ' 



THE HEETEY GEOUP. 423 

"Ah! there is just where it is," rejoined the Captain. 
" They mnj be doing a great work, but it is n't the right 
kind of work." 

" Is n't the missionary now there a good man ? " 

" I can 't answer that question, for he may not be the 
one I saw. As for that one, some of the natives liked 
him, but more did not. The chiefs uphekl him, but the 
people said he was ' no good ; ' he made them ' work too 
much.' One of them told me — and I am sure he told 
the truth — that if a native failed to attend church on 
the Sabbath, he had to pay the missionary a dollar ; if 
he smoked on the Sabbath, it cost him the same amount ; 
and many other petty tyrannies were practiced. If a 
native wanted a copy of the Bible, he had to pay the 
sum of one dollar for it ; and, by the way, one of my sail- 
ors had to pay the same sum for a copy. Now do you 
wonder that the native hated the missionary ? and that 
they were no better than I found them ?" 

" No, I do n't wonder at it," exclaimed Eugene ; " and 
I think the missionaries very short-sighted if they estab- 
lish such rules." 

" Was n't this the very island where John Williams 
did such a noble work ? " asked Chester, presently. 

" Yes," was the reply, " and I stood by his grave there. 
He was a noble as well as a good man, and was actuated 
by none but the purest motives. I wish they were all 
like him." 

"Ah, you may well say that," remarked the Professor, 
thoughtfully. 

"Tell us something about Mr. Williams, Professor," 
said Eugene, eagerly. 

" What little I can recall, I will relate in a few words," 
said the palaeontologist : " John Williams was born at 
Tottenham, near London, June 29, 1796. At the age of 
twentj", the London Missionary Society sent him with his 



424 THE HERVEY GROUP. 

wife to Eimeo, the island we have just left. They remained 
on Eimeo long enough to acquire a knowledge of the 
language, and then removed, first to Huahine, and finally 
to Raiatea. For five years they labored here, and were 
very successful, after which, in the year 1823, he visited 
the Hervey group, and founded the mission at Raratonga. 
He learned the language of the group, prepared several 
books, and even translated a portion of the Bible. Hav- 
ing no vessel, he made all the necessary tools, and in a 
little more than three months, built and launched a craft 
sixty feet long and eighteen feet wide, the sails being 
made of native matting, the cordage of the bark of 
the hibiscus, the oakum of cocoanut husks and banana 
stumps, and the sheaves of ironwood. In this small 
vessel, within the next four years, he explored almost the 
whole of the South Sea Islands." 

" During this time he established the Samoan mission, 
did he not ? " asked Captain Bradford. 

" Yes," answered the Professor, " and completed the 
translation of the New Testament into the Raratongan 
language." 

" He was an indefatigable worker," remarked Eugene, 
approvingly. 

" He was indeed," assented the Professor. " In 1834 
he visited England, procured the publication of his Rara- 
tongan Testament, raised money for a missionary ship, 
published a ' Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the 
South Sea Islands,' and prepared plans for a theological 
school at Raratonga and a high school at Tahiti. After 
his return to the Pacific in 1838, he sailed with one com- 
panion for the New Hebrides, to establish a mission there, 
but both were killed by the natives, on the island of 
Tanua, on the 20th of November, 1839." 

" What a pity ! " exclaimed Chester. " How did it 
happen ? " 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 425 

" While he was attempting to land," rejoined the Pro- 
fessor, " with a desire to create a friendly feeling with the 
natives, they rushed upon him, and, as he attempted to 
reach the boat, he was struck by a spear and killed. They 
hauled the body clear of the beach, and refused to give it 
up. However, afterwards they thought better of it, and 
delivered up the remains, which were taken to Raratonga 
and there buried, as the Captain has informed you." 

" It is sad to think that such good men have to be 
sacrificed," mused Chester ; " and right in the midst of 
their usefulness too." 

" It is, indeed," assented the Professor ; " but doubtless 
it is for some wise end, — and what hosts of martyrs there 
have been ! " 

" Captain," asked Eugene, after a pause, " are all the 
Herveys volcanic ? " 

" No," was the reply ; " some of the islands are entirely 
coral, and all of them are surrounded by the dangerous 
coral reefs, at which the coral 'insects' are still at work." 

" There is quite a group to the southeast of the Her- 
veys, I notice." 

" Yes, the Austral Islands, of which Rututua, Raivavai, 
Oparo, and St. Elmo are the best known." 

At this moment the Captain was summoned forward, 
and before he returned, dinner was announced, and so 
the conversation was interrupted for the day. But the 
next morning, at the usual hour, he again joined them, 
and after a few words of ordinary conversation, abruptly 
said : 

" In less than forty-eight hours we shall drop our 
anchor in the harbor of Apia." 

" Good ! " exclaimed Eugene, " I am just aching to set 
foot among the Samoans." 

" You are anxious to feast your eyes on the fair Samoan 
damsels, I suppose," laughed his brother. 



426 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS, 

" I admit the soft impeachment," returned Eugene. 
" They say they are the belles of the Pacific." 

" It may be so, but do n't forget that the Tongan girls, 
and even the Hawaiian maidens have their champions. 
For my part, I hardly expect to find anything as pretty 
as the fair ones we saw in the Marquesas Isles, or those 
we have just left behind us in Tahiti and Eimeo." 

" I am sure none of them can hold a candle to the 
daughters of Samoa," exclaimed Eugene, stubbornly. 
" What do you say. Captain ? " 

" To those who like the Polynesian style of beauty, the 
girls of Samoa must seem quite pretty," was the rather 
non-committal answer. 

The brothers laughed. 

" Well, I shall see for myself two days hence," said 
Eugene, " meanwhile. Professor, post us up a little, for I 
am sure you know all about the islands." 

" That is hardly b, correct statement," smiled the Pro- 
fessor ; " but I know something about them, and no 
doubt, with the Captain to help me now and then, I can 
give you a very fair idea of the islands and people we 
are about to visit." 

" Who gave them the name of Navigator's Islands ? 
I 've forgotten, if I ever knew." 

" Bougainville, in consequence of their skillful seaman- 
ship, which, without exaggeration, is truly wonderful ; 
but we will call them Samoa, if you please, that being 
their proper name, and the one they have a right to insist 
upon." 

" With all the pleasure in life," said Eugene, " I 've no 
objection, I assure you." 

" There are quite a number of islands in the group, I 
believe ? " said Chester, inquiringly. 

" Yes," answered the Professor, " there are nine inhab- 
ited islands, namely, Manua, Oloosinga, Ofoo, Anuu, 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 427 

Tutuila, Upolu, Manono, Apolima, and Savaii. Then 
there are four islets stretching beyond the reef upon the 
eastern end of Upolu : Nuulua, Nutali, Taputapu, and 
Namoa ; also, an isolated islet between Manono and Apo- 
lima, called Niulapo. Neither of these islets is what is 
termed a coral island. Though separated from the larger 
ones by shoals and coral reefs, yet they are all of the 
same formation and physical structure as the mainland." 

" What is the area of the group, in the aggregate ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Wilkes made it 1,650 square miles," answered the 
Professor ; " but later authorities place it at 1,125 square 
miles." 

" Quite a difference," remarked Eugene. Then inquir- 
ingly : " Just where do the islands lie. Professor ?" 

" The entire group, north and south, is between 13° 27' 
and 14° 18' south latitude, and extends from 169° 28' to 
172° 48' west longitude," was the answer. 

" A good thing," observed the Captain, " is that the 
water spaces between the islands are free from shoals or 
outlying reefs, while the island headlands are certain 
guides to the navigator." 

"To be sure," assented the Professor ; "but if I remem- 
ber rightly, strong currents frequently set through the 
channels, and beating to windward, especially with square- 
rigged vessels, lengthens the passage between the islands." 

" Quite true," rejoined the Captain ; " but the prevail- 
ing winds are southeast trades, which are more uniform 
than the northeast trades, and although strong at times, 
they seldom approach a gale." 

" The entire group, I suppose," said Eugene, " is of 
volcanic formation." 

" Without doubt," rejoined the Professor, " but every- 
where evidence is discovered to prove the great antiquity 
of the islands, though in 1867 a submarine volcano burst 
18 



428 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

out of the ocean, between Manua and Oloosinga, sending 
upward a column of fire, with mud and sand and stones, 
to a height of more than two thousand feet, and this 
continued for a period of two weeks, wlien it subsided." 

" Gracious ! " exclaimed Eugene, " can we see anything 
of that ocean-born volcano ? Did it leave no trace 
behind?" 

" None, whatever," was the answer. " More than that, 
it is even said to be difficult now to get soundings on the 
site." 

" It seems strange," remarked Chester, " that a volcano 
should have appeared after so long a time, and displayed 
such violent activity ; for, if I understood you rightly, 
nothing of the kind had occurred in the group before for 
ages." 

" That is true," said the Professor ; " for, although 
extinct volcanoes are discovered upon all the islands, yet 
no account of their eruption is found in native history or 
tradition." 

" Then, while they are surely volcanic, all volcanic 
action must have ceased ages ago." 
"^ " Yes, the islands seem to have been lifted from the 
ocean-bed by a mighty convulsion ^ — a subterranean up- 
heaval previous to the earth's crust being broken. On 
the island of Upolu masses of coral have lately been dis- 
covered in the water-courses, and imbedded in ancient 
cellular lava at 2,500 feet above the sea-level, while marine 
shells may be found upon the plateaus and mountains 
throughout the group ; but nowhere upon the island is 
there a possible indication of primitive formation or 
secondary rocks ; the entii-e land-surface plainly showing 
the immense flow of lava subsequent to upheaval. 

" The highest mountains in each of the islands," the 
Professor continued, " are conical or spire-shaped. When 
all evidences of craters have been destroyed by time and 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 429 

the action of the elements, upon such mountains are 
found ancient vesicular lava and amygdaloids, the olivine 
often disintegrated and found in the water-courses. Lava, 
in stratification or folds, is generally distributed over the 
islands, often presenting a granular appearance." 

" I suppose there is no knowing how long the group 
•has been inhabited ? " said Eugene, inquiringly. 

" No, I think not," returned the Professor, slowly. 

" I have somewhere heard," observed Chester, " that on 
one of the islands there are certain remarkable ruins, 
much of the same character, I should judge, as those on 
Kusaie, of which you told us some time ago." 

" There are such ruins, I believe," said the Professor; 
" but so far as I remember, I have never seen a descrip- 
tion of them. Do you know anything about them, 
Captain ? " 

" A little something," was the reply ; " for to tell the 
truth, while I was at Apia last, I paid a visit to the place," 

" Ah ! " exclaimed Eugene, eagerly, " tell us all about 
them, then." ^ 

" Really, there is not much to tell," said the Captain. 
"But hearing of the ancient works, and that they were 
built of cut stone, I determined to see them for myself. 
I persuaded a friend to accompany me, and early one 
morning we started out with native guides. The spot 
was about a day's journey from the town, and we found 
stone pillars and slabs for flooring, the whole forming a 
perfect circle. The uniformity in the size of the stones, 
and their smoothness, certainly indicated good and care- 
ful workmanship. These ruins were in a dense forest 
with a heavy growth of underbrush. With much diffi- 
culty we penetrated this, and found, under an overhanging 
cliff a quarry of laminated lava, granular in appearance 
and of fine texture. To my mind, this discovery at once 
settled the matter. There was the structure, and here /' 

/ 



430 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

was the quarry that furnished the stone for it. But by 
whom and when the building was erected, and for what 
purposes, I leave you to conjecture, since I have no idea, 
and the inhabitants have no traces of history or tradition 
which throw any light on the subject." 

" I do n't wonder the present inhabitants know nothing 
about it," said the Professor, " for I am firmly persuaded 
it was built by another and an extinct race." 

" Well, then," exclaimed Eugene, " there's no use in 
our bothering ourselves any more about it, for we are not 
likely to get at the truth if we do, and I expect there are 
many other wonderful things on these same islands that 
will better pay investigation." 

"Yes," said Chester, "there are some curious caverns, 
I hear. Did you visit any of them. Captain?" 

" Yes," was the reply, " in company with the same friend 
I explored a most remarkable one on the island of Savaii. 
At that time the caverns of Samoa had attracted very 
little attention, not even the missionaries having visited 
them, and we were laughed at for thinking of the thing ; 
but we persisted in our undertaking, and afterwards were 
glad enough that we had done so. We entered this one 
through a well-like opening, in the. level ground, back of 
the village of Saleaula. This opening was caused by the 
arch of the cave breaking, the debris being piled upon 
the floor. The roof is a perfect arch, and quite as sym- 
metrical as the finest railway tunnel. 

" Traversing this subterraneous cavity a distance of 
more than a mile and a half toAvard the sea, we came to 
a cross-section, or passage, running at right-angles, of 
the same size and physical structure. This we followed 
for nearly a mile, finding a uniform level, with good air. 
At length we returned to the main cavern, and followed 
it, perhaps, three-quarters of a mile, when it branched ; 
continuing to the right for half a mile or so, we found 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 431 

the roof broken and further progress checked, but dis- 
covered a small opening upward, sufficiently large for 
egress." 

" That 's a cave vs^orth talking about ? " exclaimed Eu- 
gene. " Now, how many miles of passages should you 
say there were. Captain ? " 

" We did not determine the full extent of the sub- 
terranean passages," was the answer ; " but I can assure 
you, there are many miles of them." 

" How far above the level of the sea is the floor of the 
cave ? " asked Chester. 

" Not more than twenty feet, I should say," replied the 
Captain, " while the roof is scarcely more than ten feet 
in thickness." 

" What is the character of the surface of the country ? " 
asked the Professor. " Though I think I could tell pretty 
nearly," he quickly added. 

" This arterial system of caves is beneath a wide and 
level stretch of country very heavily timbered," the Cap- 
tain answered. 

" Are they connected with the ocean in any way ? " 
asked Chester. 

" I am inclined to believe that they are," was the reply, 
" as in some places upon the floor the water was quite 
salt." 

" There are fresh-water springs upon the beach in many 
places, are there not ? "asked the Professor. 

"Yes, I observed a great many," answered the Captain. 

" Then," said the Professor, " like subterranean chan- 
nels, you may be sure, account for those springs." 

" I am sure you are right," exclaimed the Captain ; 
" for in the Bay of Satupaitai is a great spring of fresh 
water, fifty feet from low-water mark, which boils like a 
huge cauldron from the rocks beneath. Here the natives 
bathe in fresh water, though surrounded by the brine of 
the ocean." 



432 THE SAMOAX ISLANDS. 

" And I have seen it stated," said Chester, " that in the 
pmall island of Anuu there is a mud lake which is con- 
nected with the ocean. The proof being that it rises and 
falls regularly with the ocean tides." 

" That is so," affirmed the Captain ; " but a still more 
remarkable phenomenon is presented upon an atoll called 
Quiros, two hundred and thirty miles northeast of Savaii, 
the circular reef of which is low, scarce high enough to 
resist the waves during a northern gale. This reef sur- 
rounds a lagoon of fresh water, in which small vessels 
might anchor. And now I think of it, I must say, it 
seems reasonable that the water-sheds of Samoa, by sub- 
terranean passages, such as we have been speaking of, 
may supply this lagoon with fresh water." 

" It is possible, surely," said the Professor, thoughtfully. 

" Well, we must see these wonderful caves for our- 
selves," said Eugene ; " and now let me ask about the 
climate and vegetation. Are they all that is claimed for 
them?" 

" They are all you could wish, young man," returned 
the Captain. " The climate is warm and equable, and 
the warmth and moisture of the atmosphere, joined to a 
vigorous and prolific soil, have clothed the islands Avith a 
varied and luxuriant vegetation. Yes, eternal summer 
gives them a perennial flora. From base to mountain-top 
they are covered with verdure. Excepting the shore-line 
of lava I have mentioned, and a lava-field of a few miles 
in area on the eastern end of Savaii, there is no space of 
bare or naked land in the entire group. The soil is a 
rich mold upon the slopes, and even upon the precipitous 
mountain sides, while the valleys and level tracts are a 
deep alluvial deposit of the same, the whole a decomposi- 
tion of vegetable matter with only a slight proportion 
of decomposed lava ; this being impregnated with iron 
makes a vigorous tillable loam. So rapid is the growth 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 433 

and decay of vegetable matter, and so long has it been 
accumulating, that the interstices of broken lava upon 
abrupt declivities are filled with soil, which is again pro- 
tected from heavy washes by trees and shrubbery." 

" The islands must present a magnificent picture from 
the sea," suggested Chester. 

" Yes, indeed," returned the Captain, enthusiastically ; 
" upon a near approach the groves of cocoanut trees are 
seen lining the beach, with native villages nestling among 
them. The background of abrupt hills or long easy slopes 
is covered with a heavy growth of timber, clothed in 
living green." 

" The forest timber must be very valuable," observed 
the Professor. 

" I think it is quite safe to say that no islands in the^ 
Pacific have such primeval forests, and such a variety of 
valuable woods," rejoined the Captain. " The trees are 
tall and symmetrical, with clear and uniform stems, such 
as are seldom found in groves of hard-wood. There are 
heavy timber-trees with umbrageous foliage, and groves 
of lighter, softer, but more perishable trees." 

" What are some of the more important trees ? " asked 
Chester. 

" The tamanu, which you must have noticed at Tahiti, 
a heavy tree with spreading branches, the trunk often 
four feet in diameter; the fetau, perhaps the most valua- 
ble timber-tree in the group, the wood being of various 
shades of red, of fine texture, and enduring polish ; the 
fau, common to most islands of the Pacific, is here very 
abundant and more valuable to the natives than any 
other tree, except, perhaps, the cocoanut and bread-fruit, 
the wood being used for canoes, and its fibrous inner bark 
for fishing-nets and fine lines, also for beautiful mats with 
a fine, soft nap ; the aao, banyan-tree, which I need not 
describe, for — " 



434 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

" What ! the real banyan-tree, Captain ? " interrupted 
Eugene. 

" Yes, the genuine Flcus Iiidlca" was the reply. " It 
is not abundant in Samoa, though perhaps as much so as 
in the Indies, considering the area of the islands; here- 
it is the monarch of the forest, lifting its great leafy 
dome above the surrounding foliage. It may be seen 
from the coast miles in the interior," 

" Well, I 'm glad I shall have a chance to see it. What 
else is there. Captain ? " 

" The ifi, native chestnut, and the vi are both large 
trees, growing in abundance. Both, as you know, are 
fruit-bearing." 

" The vi," said Chester, " is known in Tahiti as the 
Brazilian plum, and bears, I was told, but once a yeai\" 

" True," rejoined the Captain, " and the fruit, when 
ripe, is of a rich orange-color, as large as the largest 
peach. It is very nutritious, and, in taste, more nearly 
approaches the apple than does any other tropical fruit. 
The ifi, or chestnut, is particularly attractive from its 
graceful stem and buttresses, which grow out from the 
trunk at the base. These remarkable supports surround 
the tree in perfect regularity, having very thin bark, and 
are sometimes six or eight feet high, gradually tapering 
from the tree to the earth." 

" Of course, they have the paper mulberry ?" said Eugene. 

" Yes," responded the Captain, " the ua, or Chinese 
paper mulberry, is very abundant in Samoa, so much so 
that the osiers or twigs are seldom regularly cultivated. 
The miniature thickets are found on all the lowlands. 
From the inner bark of the ua, as you know, is manu- 
factured the native cloth, called ' tapa,' in most of the 
groups, but ' siapo ' in Samoa, and I assure you, it is a 
rare sight to see the girls making it. They are the sole 
manufacturers, and are wonderfully skillful and patient 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 



435 



over their work In the first place, for the finest cloth, 
they always employ very young trees, not more than 
fifteen or sixteen months old, and only two or three 




inches in diameter. They begin their wo]:k by cutting 
dow^n the tree, peeling off the bark, and steeping it for 
about forty-eight hours in water, so as to enable the rough, 



18* 



436 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

outer bark to be removed from the thin and delicate inner 
bark. By constant beating, this substance becomes great- 
ly increased in width and reduced in thickness, and, like 
gold-leaf, it can be beaten out to almost any extent." 

" But how do they make such long pieces of cloth as 
I know they do," asked Eugene, " the strips of bark being 
only ten or twelve inches wide ?" 

" A number of them are united by overlapping the 
edges and putting between them arrow-root dissolved in 
water," replied the Captain. " The united pieces, while 
still wet, are again beaten, and after a while the two 
pieces become one, and all signs of the junction disap- 
pear." 

"What is the next step ?" asked Chester. 

" When a piece of sufficient size is made," said the 
Captain, " printing and staining are the next processes. 
The dyes are generally of three kinds, red, brown, and 
yellow. The first two colors are obtained from clays, and 
the third from the root of the turmeric. The women, 
who make and print the cloth do not prepare the dyes, 
that being a separate occupation, and among the Samoans 
the different professions are, or rather, have heretofore 
been, strictly limited to certain families, just as is the 
case with the castes in India. In printing the pattern is 
made by fastening tha flexible ribs of the cocoanut-leaf 
on a board. When the ribs are quite hard and dry, the 
cloth is stretched over them, and the dye rubbed over it 
with a stiff brush, so that it only adheres to those parts 
of the cloth which press against the raised pattern below. 
For patterns of a larger size a softer bark is used, which 
holds a quantity of color." 

" We must surely see the girls make cloth," said 
Eugene. " What other important trees and plants have 
they, Captain ? " 

" Besides those I have mentioned," replied the Captain, 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 437 

\ 

" there are the paoga and tola, two varieties of pandanus, 
from which the native coarse and finer sleeping-mats are 
made. Then the ulu or bread-fruit tree flourishes in 
greatest variety and luxuriance. In every village these 
useful trees are interspersed with the cocoanut, and sur- 
round each house, while every town has one or more 
groves in the interior. On the leeward end of Savaii, 
one can walk for a mile or more at a time through ulu 
groves. The tree is not tall, but uniform and beautiful 
in shape, like the finest specimens we saw on Nukihiva. 
Then there is the cocoanut palm, the anauli, and among 
lesser plants the ava." 

" The ava ?" repeated Eugene, inquiringly. 

" Yes," replied the Captain ; " for what is termed kava 
or cava in Tonga, Fiji, and many other groups, in Samoa 
and Hawaii is called ava. It is a species of the pepper 
plant, a spreading shrub, growing in clusters from six to 
ten feet in height. The stalks are deep green, in joints 
like bamboo or sugar-cane. The plant grows from a 
large bulbous root. We already know a great deal about 
it, and so I will merely say that in Samoa it is only used 
on special occasions — • councils, entertaining of friends ; 
being generally tendered as an evidence of great esteem. 
I never saw or knew of a case of intoxication or stupefac- 
tion from its use in the islands. Here the liquor is pre- 
pared by young girls, who masticate the dried root, and 
strain thsough cocoanut fibers into a large bowl hewn 
from the trunk of a tree, the inner side of which, from 
constant use, attains a beautiful pigeon-blue color or 
enamel of high polish. The plant, I ought to say, grows 
wild, though it is extensively cultivated in many places." 

" If I remember rightly. Captain," said the Professor, 
" there are not many odoriferous shrubs and flowers on 
the islands." 

" No," was the reply, " the plants of those characters 



438 THf] SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

would not take high rank in botany either for multitude 
or variety ; yet there arc few people who pay greater 
tribute to floral nature than the Samoans. Every scent- 
bearing plant and fragrant flower is brought into requisi- 
tion for wreaths, necklaces, and other adornments of the 
person. Native oil for the hair is scented with ififi filo- 
filoa, afia oliin, and other odoriferous plants and flowers ; 
while necklaces are made from taitaipo, luni, pupuiono, 
and the fruit of the oli tato. These are some of the 
indigenous flowering plants having no technical names." 

" For heaven's sake ! What do they want of technical 
names ? " growled Eugene, " are not those they already 
have outrageous enough, I 'd like to know ? " 

" Without a doubt," laughed the Captain ; " but I 
suppose they are sweet-sounding enough to the fair Sa- 
moan girls, whom, without having seen, you love." 

" That settles it," said Eugene. " Go on. Professor, I 
see you were about to say something." 

" I was merely going to ask about the climbing ferns," 
said the Professor. " They have one or more varieties, 
Captain ? " 

" Yes, the laumapapa and the laufassafasa," was the 
reply. " Often these evergreen ferns climb to the tops of 
,the highest trees, their rich green tassels pendant from 
the overhanging boughs, making a delightful wild-wood 
picture. I assure you, I have been particularly impressed 
by the abundance and great variety of ferns in the 
mountains." 

" How about fruit and vegetables ? " asked Eugene. 

" I wonder you have n't asked that question before," 
said his brother, laughingly. 

" Comfort your longing soul, my friend," said the 
Captain ; " for if those things you ask about are limited 
in variety, this fact is amply compensated for by their 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 439 

great abundance. So bounteous is nature indeed, that 
every day is practically to the Samoan a holiday." 

" That's the spot I 'm looking for ! " exclaimed Eugene, 
with enthusiasm. -4 — 

" Yes," the Captain went on, " the production of food 
and the support of a family can scarcely be termed labor, 
yet few aboriginal people live better. Breacl-fruit hangs 
invitingly about every house ; it is their most important 
article of food. There are several varieties, and from 
them many dishes are prepared. The fruit here is mostly 
baked in ovens and eaten with fish, yams, taro, and 
bananas. It is not a nutritive food ; but the ease with 
which it is produced and the consequent exemption from 
much hard labor which it secures, makes the natives 
disinclined to substitute for it the maize of the temperate 
zone, though Indian corn grows in great luxuriance, and 
is knows by the Samoans to be more conducive to the 
development of mental and physical vigor than the favor- 
ite bread-fruit." 

" That won't do for me ; at least, not alone," said 
Eugene. " What else have they ?" 

" There are eight distinct varieties of the yam," replied 
the Captain. " It is indigenous, growing in the woods 
and high upon the mountains, where it attains its greatest 
size; sometimes a single cluster of roots weighing eighty 
pounds. It is, however, the cultivated yam upon which 
the natives rely. Every family has its yam and taro 
patch." 

" While the yam is very good, I suppose the taro is the 
better of the two ?" said Chester, inquiringly. 

" Yes," replied the Captain, " the taro is a rich, nutri- 
tious, and healthful food ; in growth and appearance not 
unlike the potato, as you know, but far more valuable as 
a vegetable food, containing as. it does a large proportion 
of starch. Tare is highly esteemed by the whites on 



440 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

the islands, and no doubt will ever be their staple food. 
'From the young gi-een tops the natives make a variety of 
very palatable dishes." 

" I suppose there is plenty of arrow-root?" said Chester. 

" It is indigenous," was the reply. " It is found wild, 
but seldom cultivated, and is rarely used. Great quantities 
might be raised by a little effort." 

" What of the fruits, Captain ? " asked Eugene. 

" The plantain and the banana grow upon all the 
islands in great profusion and variety. In some districts 
there are regularly cultivated banana plantations. The 
wild banana is especially valuable for its fiber, much 
resembling hemp in texture. Oranges, lemons, and limes 
are very abundant, the last named in great variety and 
excellence. Guavas, mangoes, and citrons are found in 
plenty. The citron-tree is justly praised for its beauty, 
its dark-green foliage shading the fruit, which hangs like 
great corrugated masses of gold." 

" They have a plant from which indigo is obtained, I 
have heard," said Chester. 

" Yes," answered the Captain, " and it grows profusely. 
The stem is fine, and the whole plant rich in coloring 
matter. It is not cultivated. Coffee is also found wild, 
though not in sufficient quantities to ever justify the 
belief that it is a native of Samoa. The wild turmeric is 
very generally distributed, as I huve already intimated, 
it is used chiefly as a dye ; but the curry made from it is 
a very superior article, comparing favorably with the 
finest curry of the Indies. The atone (nutmeg) is indige 
nous and valuable, the mace being exceeding!}^ fine and 
rich. There are two varieties of cotton growing on the 
islands, both species of the sea-island cotton, one of much 
larger fiber than the other ; but they are not cultivated." 

"Was not the white or Irish potato introduced some 
years ago ? " asked the Professor, 



THE SAMOAN. ISLANDS. 441 

" It was," answered the Captain, " but has not proved 
a success. It grows strong and rapidlj^, but loses flavor. 
The seed runs out, or the bulb turns to the sweet potato. 
Upon the mountains or high plateaus, I have no doubt the 
potato would flourish quite as well as it does in Hawaii." 
•' Is there anything interesting to be said of the fauna 
of the islands?" asked Eugene. 

" Verj little indeed," was the answer. " A few wild 
dogs are found in the mountains, but they have not the 
appearance or habits of the wolf or fox, and have evi- 
dently come from the domestic animal brought by ship- 
ping to the islands. The pig is common, of course; 
numbers are seen in every village ; they and fowls com- 
prise the animal food of the natives. Wild hogs roam 
in herds through the forests, and were numerous long 
before LaP^rouse or Captain Cook ever saw the group. 
The same is true of the common barn-yard fowl." 

"How and when did they get there, then?" asked 
Eugene. 

" Tell me how and when the ancestors of the people 
those great navigators found on the islands got there, and 
I will answer your question, for no doubt they came in 
the same way and at the same time." 
• " I doubt it," exclaimed Eugene, " for that does not 
agree with the traditions of the Marquesans or those of 
the inhabitants of other groups." 

" Ah, but you must remember the Marquesans and the 
other islanders you refer to are far to the east of Samoa ; 
and while the first settlers of the last named group may 
have come well equipped, those to the east may have 
landed utterly destitute." 

" That may be so," admitted Eugene, dubiously. 
" At any rate," said the Captain, " the chicken is quite 
as abundant where we are going as in civilized and 



442 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

thickly settled countries. The same fowl is also wild in 
the forests in great numbers." 

" There are very few native birds, I think," said Chester. 

" True," assented the Cajitain ; " but most of those the 
islands possess ar^ of peculiar habits and rare j^lumage. 
Some species are unknown elsewhere. The dodo, or, 
more properly, the ' little dodo,' long supposed to be ex- 
tinct, is found only in this group. It is a timid bird, 
lonely in its habits, exceedingly scarce in number, and 
only found in lonely and almost inaccessible parts of the 
mountains. The dodo was once considered sacred by 
the Samoans ; at another time used as food by the great 
chiefs. It is the tooth-hilled pigeon, having three teeth 
upon either side of the lower mandible." 

" I have seen some references to this strange bird," 
remarked the Professor ; " and I may say that for more 
than two centuries past the few remains of the dodo 
known to the scientific world, such as a foot or a head, 
together with some paintings made of it in the seven- 
teenth century, have been preserved in European muse- 
ums with great care, and have been regarded as of great 
value. Several scientific treatises upon it have been con- 
tributed to learned societies within the last fifty years, 
but so little has been known of it by naturalists, that they 
have not been agreed as to what family it belonged, or 
what were its habits." 

" There are several varieties of the pigeon family, are 
there not ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes, the manuma and manutago are two varieties of 
cooing doves, of green, white, and golden plumage, with 
scarlet crests. The native pigeon (lupi'), a trifle larger 
than our tame species, is very abundant. Many are 
tamed and carried upon sticks by native chiefs." 

" What are some of the other birds ? " asked Eugene. 

"I can't think of but one other at this moment," 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 443 

replied the Captain, "for the water-fowl are scarcely 
worthy of mention ; but the kingfisher is a small bird of 
exceedingly beautiful plumage." 

" There is the vampire bat," suggested the Professor ; 
" if not a bird, at least, it has wings." 

" Ah, yes," returned the Captain, " the bat, the Profes- 
sor refers to, sometimes called the flying-fox, is identical 
in appearance with the Pteropus Echvardii of Madagas- 
car, and is very abundant ; once it was considered sacred, 
and entered very largely into the structure of their rever- 
ential religion. It attains great size, often measuring 
four feet from tip to tip of wings. It is neither carnivo- 
rous nor insectivorous, feeding, as it does, exclusively on 
fruits." 

" As there are so few animals and birds, I hope there are 
no reptiles," remarked Eugene. 

" There are no poisonous reptiles," said the Captain, 
" but there is a considerable variety of harmless snakes 
upon the island of Savaii — white, red, green, black, and 
spotted. I only saw them at this island, or on the islets 
belonging to it, and it was here that I learned of the 
' crowing snake.' " 

" The what?" exclaimed Eugene, in great astonishment. 

" The crowing snake," repeated the Captain. " There 
is such a reptile, without the shadow of a doubt. It is 
the subject of native songs, and the testimony of both 
whites and natives points directly to the fact that they 
have a snake which croivs like a cockP 

" Oh, come, come, Captain ! That's spreading it on a 
little too thick," said Eugene. " Remember, we 're going 
there." 

. " Well, I acknowledge I did not see or hear one my- 
self, and the apparent physical impossibility of such an 
anomaly made me skeptical, but the unequivocal testi- 



444 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

mony of the missionaries to the existence of such a 
reptile seems too strong to be rejected." 

" The unequivocal testimony of the missionaries ! " 
repeated Eugene. " Well, that settles it, I suppose. 
But I'm really afraid I can't stand any more to-day, 
Captain ; and so, with your permission, I'll withdraw." 

" Permission is granted," laughed the Captain ; " but 
as we can 't get along without you, I shall follow your 
example," and so the party broke up. 



CHAPTER XXIY. 

THE SAMOAN ISLANDS — Continued. 

IT was plain enough to see, next morning, that the 
thoughts of all were turned to Samoa ; and hardly 
had the little party assembled on the quarter-deck, when 
Eugene, wdio had had ample time over night to digest the 
crowing-snake story, turned to the Captain, and said : 

" We have heard something about the islands, the 
animals, birds, and reptiles, now please tell us about the 
people of Samoa, give us your idea of them. Captain." 

" Well," replied the Captain, good naturedly, " the 
Samoans, as you well know, are of the same race as the 
Marquesans, the Tahitians, the Tongans, the E.aratongans, 
the Maories, and the Hawaiians. But they are of a 
better type than any of these ; far better, to my mind, 
than the Hawaiians, whose dark skin speaks of Papuan 
blood. Never subject to the inroads of other races and 
consequent admixture, uncorrupted and unchanged, they 
have preserved many of their original characteristics. 
The face, mind you, has many of the distinctive marks 
of the European. Generally the profile is decided and 
the facial angle distinct, the occiput broad, but seldom 
elevated. Unlike the Malay, the nose is never artificially 
flattened, deformity of person never having been practiced 
among them. The nose is usually straight, but not so 
delicate in structure as that of the whites ; the mouth 
large, and the lips thicker than those of the Europeans. 
The profile of the young girls is often very pronounced ; 
the hair black, soft, and sometimes fine and wavy — never 

(445) 



446 THE SA3I0AN ISLANDS. 

crisp and curly in either sex. Among the men beards 
are not so general as among the whites ; yet many have 
luxuriant beards. The eye is black, soft, and pleasing, 
giving that melancholy air and ' meekness ' of expression 
which Humboldt mentions as characteristic of the island- 
ers of the Pacific. The skin is dark-olive, resembling 
polished copper, presenting no difference in the sexes, 
though the prominent chiefs and better families arc much 
lighter, with smoother skins. They are also taller and 
more symmetrical in person than the common people. 
The infant is much lighter in complexion than the adult. 
The male Samoan is tall, erect, and proud in bearing, 
with smooth, straight, and well-rounded limbs, the con- 
tour of person seldom presenting muscular protuberance 
or development. The females are generally slight, es- 
pecially the young girls ; erect and symmetrical, easy 
and graceful in their movements, the. charm of light- 
heartedness seeming to follow every action." 

" But are they good-looking ? That 's what I want to 
know," said Eugene, a little impatiently. 

" Beauty of feature, my dear boy, is not the rule," 
replied the Captain, " though many of the village maidens 
are exceedingly beautiful." 

" Ah ! those are the ones I want to see. But go on, 
Captain." 

" The Samoan," continued the Captain, " does not 
incline to obesity, like some of the islanders we have 
met, seldom, in fact, losing his erect bearing and round- 
ness of limb and figure. I have seen more than one 
woman, who, at fifty, might still be called beautiful." 

"All things considered, you would not call them a 
warlike people. Captain ? " said Chester, inipiiringly. 

" Though internecine war has often desolated the is- 
lands, and the jealousy of districts, chiefs, and families is 
great," was the thoughtful reply, " still the SamoanSv as 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 447 

a people, are mild and peaceful in their instincts, mirth- 
loving, generous, and happy in their peaceful state." 

" I judge, from what you said yesterday, that they do 
not love hard work," said Eugene. 

" It is true that, though possessing superior powers of 
endurance and great energy in action, still, as a race, 
they shrink from labor of any kind." 

" There are no very rich men among them, I suppose?" 
said Chester. 

" No," was the reply, " for heretofore they have been 
without a stimulus, ambition has not created objective 
motives, and accumulation, or eveii a desire to amass 
wealth, is almost foreign to their natures. Then, too, 
communism is a creed among them, and although con- 
fined to the members of the family, this has been an 
effectual bar to the accumulation of property." 

" You spoke of caste among them yesterday," sug- 
gested Chester. 

" Caste," said the Captain, " is esteemed a fundamental 
basis of society, but with gradations in families heredi- 
tary, and gaining in pride and power with each succeed- 
ing generation. To a stranger there are no outward 
evidences of caste, except in stature and physical beauty. 
The house and household appointments of the common 
man differ but little from those of the chiefs. lie, with 
the least pride of family, owns his tract of land, has his 
bread-fruit tree, taboos his cocoanut tree, cultivates his 
own taro-patch, and paddles his canoe as free as the 
greatest ruler ; but he looks to his chief for protection, 
obeys his mandates, and is his cheerful follower and 
servitor in time of war." 

" The people, I know, feel the greatest respect for their 
superiors," remarked the Professor. 

" Yes," assented the Captain, " there are many families 
which command profound respect, such as that of Leuma- 



448 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

nil, a chief of Apia, the well-known Malietoa and the 
female branch of the family Tooa. These names are 
associated with the history and traditions of the Samoans. 
There is a reverence felt for and attached to them, and 




LEUMANU, CHIEF OP APIA. 

the poorest man in Samoa knows the hereditary prestige 
of such a name." 

" The Samoans are very polite, are they not ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" Especially so," was the answer. " In meetings and 
councils much time is consumed in acts of courtesy and 
in the interchange of compliments. When a chief or a 



THE SAMOxVN tslaNDS. 



449 



distinguished stranger goes through a village all noises 
cease. Traveling parties, malaga, are hospitably received 
and entertained. In their general intercourse violence, 
or even rudeness, is unknown. Women are the equals 




FANTULIA, WIFE OF LEUMANU. 

of men, except in government. The father carries the 
child as much as the mother, and joins in the preparation 
of food and in cooking. Labor is generally divided be- 
tween them, excepting out-door work. A woman carries 
a burden, or paddles a boat only from choice, and her 
hardest labor is the manufacture of native cloth, which 
I have already mentioned." 



450 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

" But the women make themselves useful in time of 
war," said Chester. 

" Yes," assented the Captain, " In time of war women 
are emissaries, going from fort to fort unmolested. Her 
person is always sacred, as also are children." 

" In every village, some particular maiden holds the 
most prominent position, I have heard," said Eugene. 

" Yes," rejoined the Captain ; " a chief's daughter is 
often the maid of the village. She is reverenced by her 
people, though not governing them, and really occupies 
an exalted position." 

" They are a virtuous people, are they not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Eminently so," was the reply ; " indeed, with them 
virtue is a creed more powerful than caste, and was 
religiously observed before the introduction of Chris- 
tianity. With the higher classes it is held more sacredly 
than among the lower. The maid of a village is rever- 
enced more as a virgin than as a chief's daughter.'" 

" But, Captain," o])jected Eugene, " I have heard some- 
thing of their night-dances that hardly seems consistent 
with what you say." 

" I admit that their niglit-dances too nearly approach 
in character those of the other islanders," said the Caj)- 
tain. " Often they are lascivious exhibitions, and after 
midnight grossly sensual ; but I maintain they are not 
proofs of practical licentiousness." 

" I don't see what stronger proof you could ask for ; 
but let that pass, and tell me, is polyandry practiced 
among them ? " 

" Never ; but polygamy is common, though two wives 
seldom live in the same house. Often, indeed, the hus- 
band, when he takes a second wife, sends the first back 
to her people." 

" Have they adopted the dress of the whites ? " asked 
Chester. 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 451 

" Not extensively," was the reply ; " but the disposition 
to do so is growing, and in their efforts to don the new 
costume many ludicrous scenes are presented." 

" I suppose it is the women who are most anxious for 
the change ? " said Chester. 

" Yes," returned the Captain ; " the men wear foreign 
clothing only on special occasions, and this consists of 
army and navy uniforms which certain chiefs have ac- 
quired from trading vessels and men-of-war, and which 
they are fond of displaying." 

" Do they still practice tattooing ?" asked Eugene. 

" Yes," was the answer, " and it is universal in the 
islands, but does not mark distinction among the people, 
as with the Maoris. The operation is generally performed 
on quite a number at the same time, in fact, all the com- 
panions of the chief's son. When, for instance, the son 
of the chief arrives at the proper age, say about eighteen, 
all the young men of his tribe assemble to partake with 
him of the tattoo, which is to transform them from youths 
into men. There is quite a ceremony, or rather a series 
of ceremonies, for the occasion. The operator or matai, 
is a man of great influence, and his services have to be 
requested in regular form, accompanied by a present 
of fine mats. His acceptance of the mats ratifies the 
bargain, though no regular charge is made. On the 
appointed day, the young men and their friends meet in 
a house agreed upon, and more mats are presented to the 
matai ; if they are wealthy, they sometimes give him a 
canoe. The friends of the young men on these occasions 
supply provisions as long as the operation lasts. 

" All being ready, the young chief lies on his face in 
front of the operator, and places his head in the lap of 
his sister or some other female relation, while three or 
four young women hold his limbs, and sing at the top of 
their voices, in order to drown any groans or cries he 
19 



452 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 



may utter. This is done out of consideration for his 
reputation, as it is thought unworthy of the state of man- 
hood to utter a sound. Still, the pain is so intense that 




the young men often do utter groans, and sometimes 
actually cry out in agony." 

"Do they *ever get frightened and back out?" asked 
Eugene. 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 453 

" There have been a few instances where they have 
been so utterly overcome with the pain that, after they 
have been released they have not dared to submit them- 
selves again to the operation; in such cases they are 
despised for life as cowards. 

" About an hour is given to each patient at one time, 
when he rises and another takes his place. In a week 
or so, the turn of the first comes round again, and so the 
process is continued for three or four months, according 
to the number, not more than five being operated on in a 
single day." 

"Besides manufacturing native cloth and cultivating 
the yam and taro, to what do they give most of their 
attention ? " asked Chester, who was not much interested 
in tattooing. 

" To the building of houses, stone fences, canoes, making 
fine mais, fishing, and collecting food," answered the 
Captain. 

" Give us some idea of the houses, if you please." 
" They are generally built of the wood of the bread- 
fruit tree. A circle of posts surrounds a central pillar, 
which supports longitudinal beams. Upon these the 
framework of the roof is built, consisting of light sticks, 
nicely spliced, making a succession of circles. These 
circles are again crossed at right-angles by other sticks, 
and the whole is sewed together with sennit, the roof 
making a semicircle or inverted bowl, covered with thatch 
of sugar-cane leaves and ti, the space between the outer 
circle of posts being open, though supplied with matting 
for walls, which are raised and lowered in fold, as a 
Venetian blind. The floor is slightly elevated above the 
ground, and covered with pebbles, upon which mats are 
spread. In the center is a small stone fire-place, though 
but little used, as cooking is done inovens or out-build- 
ings erected for the purpose. The houses are neat and 



454 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 



clean, and kept in good order. Large sleeping-screens 
divide the members of the family at night." 




" I suppose they have public buildings, like the mane- 
abas of the Gilbert Islands?" said Eugene, iuquiringly. 
" Yes," answered the Captain, '^ in every village is a 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 455 

town-house, used for the reception of visitors and their 
entertainment." 

" They excel in the construction of water-crafts, do 
they not ? " asked Chester. 

" They do, indeed," was the reply. " There is the alia, 
a double war-canoe, often a hundred feet in length. The 
hull is made from a species of teak, the planks hewn out 
and fitted together, the length of the planks not being 
considered. These are sewed together from the inside 
through curved holes, the whole fastened to heavy frame- 
work. Not a nail or pin is used in the entire construc- 
tion. The outer surface of the hull is smooth and of 
great uniformity. The amatasi or traveling boat is much 
like the alia^ but smaller, slighter, and more graceful, the 
upper work of the hull is often beautifully carved. They 
are justly celebrated for their speed and the closeness 
with which they ' lay to the wind.' The faumauhca is the 
common village carrying boat; it is deep, has two bows, 
and carries one sail, though usually propelled by paddles. 
It is built after the model of a whale-boat, and though 
unknown until recently, is now in general use. The 
universal craft, however, is the single canoe, with out- 
rigger, hewn from the trunk of a tree, and of all sizes. 
The outrigger, as you well know, is a long stick pointed 
and lying parallel with the canoe, and fastened to it by 
horizontal spars. It requires practice and dexterity to 
manage it successfully; but in it the native is at his 
ease, men, women, and even children showing marvelous 
expertness." 

" But they have a special canoe for the bonito fishing, 
I have heard," said the Professor. 

" Ah, yes, the vaaala,"" returned the Captain ; " and 
that is the craft which most tests their skill. I assure 
you, when they are on the water, both canoe and crew 
are always objects of admiration. It is a single boat, 



456 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

with outrigger, built of plauks uicely jointed ; the model 
an imitation of the lower half of the bonito, the point of 
the outrigger level with the bow of the boat." 

" The sport of taking the bonito must be very exciting," 
remarked Eugene. 

" It is, indeed," returned the Captain. " The position 
of a school of the fish is known by the sea-l)irds hovering 
over them. Instantly the boats are launched, sometimes 
a flotilla. No storm deters the fishermen from their pur- 
pose. Their Ijoats mount the reef-breakers, and seem to 
leap over the tumbling waves beyond. Both sail and 
paddle are used, the crew consisting of three persons. 
The fisherman is equipped with a bamboo rod, line, and 
shell-hook, with feathers on the hook, which is trailed on 
the surface of the water. They are very expert in taking 
the fish, and never return empty-handed." 

" Is the bonito canoe a fast sailor ? ".asked Eugene. 

" Its speed is something extraordinary," was the reply. 

" They must take great pains in making them," re- 
marked Chester. 

" They do," said the Captain. " They are made of 
ulu, the bread-fruit wood, and are all exactly alike. They 
are sewed with sennit, and furnished with sails. The 
making of the masts is done exclusively by women, in 
which they show great dexterity and exercise remarkable 
patience." 

" What are the ' great days ' I have heard mentioned 
by persons in speaking of Samoa ? " asked Eugene. 

" They are Tgitele and Tatelega, and really they are 
great days, too. They are the first and second days of 
palolo, and occur in the latter part of October. The 
palolo is a sea-worm, which appears on two successive 
days in every year in some of the openings of the reefs, 
appearing at daylight, and disappearing with the rising 
of the sun. These marine worms are about eighteen or 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 457 

twenty inches in length, are highly esteemed for food by 
the natives, and are taken in vast quantities by them. 
They seem to understand the precise day when they will 
appear, claiming that the day before their appearance the 
land and robber crabs leave the interior and seek the salt 
water. Before dawn every native is astir. Every craft 
capable of bearing man, woman, or child is brought into 
requisition, and the reef-passages at dawn of day are alive 
with canoes and noisy with exuberant life." 

" Their language is very pleasing to the ear, is it not?" 
asked Chester. 

" The language is soft and harmonious," replied the 
Captain, " and what it will please Eugene to know, is 
easily attained by English-speaking people. At first you 
may think there are two languages. In that case you 
will be mistaken. But there are delicate terms, expres- 
sive of respect, used in speaking to a chief, though a 
chief never uses them in speaking of himself. The adult 
speaks slowly and somewhat cautiously, while the chil- 
dren are rapid in their utterance. Prominent chiefs 
have what are termed ' talking-men,' who are mediums, 
through whom they communicate their wishes and trans- 
act business. On great occasions the orator leans upon 
a staff, speaking in a deliberate manner, and is listened 
to with attention and in silence." 

" I have seen it stated that the Samoan is the only 
Polynesian language having a word to express thanks or 
gratitude," remarked Chester. 

" So far as my observation goes, that is true," returned 
the Captain. " The expression is faa fetai ; and certainly 
they are unceasing in its use." 

" The language is allegorical, and generally oriental in 
style, is it not ? " asked Eugene. 

" Yes," was the reply, " they usually express their 
thoughts in figurative language." 



458 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

" It has been reduced to writing, I am glad to know," 
remarked the Professor. 

" Yes, through the labors of the missionaries," said the 
Captain, " and it is now difficult to find a child over seven 
years of age who cannot read; while the greater portion 
of the adult population both read and write." 

" From what was said yesterday, I take it very little is 
known of the early history of Samoa," said Eugene. 

" Nothing is definitely known," replied the Captain. 
" There are native traditions of their race, to be sure, but 
they are exceedingly vague. They have a few ^ fine mats,' 
and a great ' talking-staff,' which are claimed to be several 
hundred years old. In treasuring such relics from gen- 
eration to generation, there seems to be some historical 
precision ; but the ruins I told you of yesterday, and the 
roads and the causeways of Savaii, of which I did not 
speak, are as a sealed book to them. . Ask them who 
built them, and like the natives of Kusaie, they will an- 
swer, ' The evil or good spirits.' " 

" What ! have n't they thrown aside their old supersti- 
tions, yet ? " asked Eugene. 

" No ; and though Christians, they are still believers in 
their crude mythological history. Why, every island, 
mountain, and many trees, fruits, birds, and fishes have 
associated with them some mythological tradition, and 
their mythology, though not so symmetrical or instructive 
as that of the Greeks and Romans, is scarcely less pleas- 
ing. The origin of every great family-name has a curious 
mythical tradition, and with these all the natives are 
familiar." 

" Has it been mentioned who discovered the islands ? " 
asked Chester ; " if so, I have forgotten." 

" They were first discovered by the Dutch ' three-ship 
expedition,' commanded by Rozenwein, in 1772," said 
the Professor, as the Captain did not answer. " La 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 459 

Perouse touched at the Island of Tutuila in 1787, when 
the commander of one of his vessels, M. de Langle, and 
a boat's crew of eleven men, were killed by the natives 
on the north shore of the island, nearly opposite Pago- 
Pago. A small estuary still retains the name ' Massacre 
Bay,' though it is three miles from the scene of the 
massacre." 

" Yes," said the Captain, " the natives still preserve 
the tradition of that sad occurrence, and speak of it with 
a sense of shame, but very naturally they throw the 
blame on the French." 

" No doubt they were much to blame," rejoined the 
Professor ; " but they were able to give the Samoans a 
bad name, and the islands were avoided until 1830, when 
the martyr Williams, of whom we have before spoken, 
landed at Sopapalii, on the island of Savaii, and left 
teachers from other groups among them. By 1838 the 
people were Christianized, and Williams then testified 
that the Samoan far surpassed the Tahitian in amiability 
of character, the acquisition of knowledge, and in the 
facility with which the children learned to read and 
write." 

" What is the present population ? " asked Chester. 

" Not much above 39,000," answered the Professor ; 
" and of these, more than 35,600 are Protestants, 5,000 
of the number belonging to the Wesleyan Church, and 
3,000 to 3,500 are Roman Catholics." 

" You mentioned their ' fine mats,' Captain," said 
Chester. " They set a high value on these mats, do they 
not?" 

" The ' ie,' or ' fine mat ' of the Samoan, is a matter 
somewhat difficult to explain," answered the Captain, 
slowly. "It enters more largely into all the political 
ramifications of the people than any creed, custom, or 
tradition which they have ever held. It protects caste, 
• 19* 



460 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

fosters the ignorant thralldom of the people, and alone 
serves to perpetuate barbaric prejudices. A husband will 
leave his wife for another, with no other motive than the 
acquisition of a ' fine mat.' War may be declared and 
peace made for the possession of a sacred mat. Families 
count their wealth, and all personal and real estate is 
computed by ' fine mats.' Chiefs and families have ' fine 
mats,' but only districts and governments have sacred 
mats. The most sacred mat is the emblem of the na- 
tionality of the islands, and its surrender would be a 
virtual surrender of the nation. The history and sacred- 
ness of this mat are known to most islanders of the 
Pacific." 

" "I want to ask you something about Manua," said 
Chester ; " it seems to me it must be a most interesting 
spot." 

"With the exception of Rose Island," answered the 
Captain, " Manua is the easternmost island of the group. 
It is nearly circular in form, that portion exposed to the 
southeast trades presenting a bold basaltic front, rising 
precipitously to a height of over two thousand feet. The 
remainder of the island is protected by coral reefs. 
Upon the north is the village of Faleasao, with good 
anchorage, except during a norther. Tau, the principal 
village of the island, is upon the western shore, looking 
toward Oloosiga, without a harbor, and the roadstead 
insecure. This is the residence of the high chief or 
king, who has jurisdiction over Manua, Oloosiga, and 
Ofoo. On the north and west there is a narrow belt of 
flat land next the water, covered with cocoanut trees. 
Ascending the mountain from this belt, small plateaus 
aVe found prolific in bread-fruit and bananas ; the soil 
rich, and moistened by frequent showers, the entire is- 
land clothed with vegetation to the mountain-summits. 
There are no living streams on the island ; a few springs 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 461 

of brackish water, at the sea-level, and cocoanut milk 
suppljdng the necessities of the people." 

" I should think it would require a large number of 
cocoanuts," commented Eugene. 

" Why, my dear fellow," said the Captain, " this island 
produces the largest cocoanuts in the world. The Man- 
uan cocoanut-shells are used for water vessels throughout 
the group, and have always been highly prized by other 
islanders. Why, a single green nut often furnishes more 
than half a gallon of milk, or, perhaps, more properly, 
water. The natives of Manua are exceedingly primitive, 
and have but little intercourse with the outer world. All 
are Christians, and the white-walled church in the center 
of the village is a conspicuous object to a passing vessel. 
The native traders carry their oil and copra in open 
canoes to Apia or Pago-Pago for barter." 

" You mentioned Rose Island," said Chester. " I don't 
remember having heard the name before." 

" It is merely a small, angular coral reef, just above 
water," returned the Captain, " and is the easternmost of 
all the group. A Mr. Weber bought it for one hundred 
dollars in trade, some years ago, to plant cocoanut trees 
on, but they all died, as there vv as too much guano. It 
is a great resort for birds, turtle, and fish." 

" Tutuila is quite an important island, is it not ? " asked 
Chester. 

"It is the third island in the group in size and 
importance," replied the Captain. " It is sixty-two miles 
west of Manua, and is high and mountainous, with preci- 
pices rising from the ocean to a height of from 1,200, to 
upward of 2,300 feet. Its western end, which is lower, 
is covered with luxuriant vegetation, and is thickly set- 
tled. There are many good ports on the north side of 
the island, but the best is Pago-Pago, or Pango-Pango, 
on the south side. It is completely land-locked, has an 



462 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

entrance clear of rocks, and water enough to float the 
largest vessels. At the base of the precipitous moun- 
tains, which surround the hay, native houses in small 
villages cluster. It is one of the safest and best harbors 
in the Pacific, and, being on the direct steamship route 
between America and Australia, must become, at no dis- 
tant day, a very important port." 

" Is not Pago-Pago the very harbor which was trans- 
ferred to the United States some time ago ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Yes," answered the Captain, " in 1872, Commander 
Richard W. Meade, of the United States steamer Narra- 
gansett^ made a treaty with Maunga, the principal chief 
of Le Fagaloa, and others, in which this splendid harbor 
was given up to our government." 

" Well, I hope we shall always retain possession of it," 
said Eugene. " And now let me ask about the island 
and port to which we are bound." 

" Upolu," replied the Captain, " is forty miles west of 
Tutuila, and in population and resources is the most 
important island of the group. The bay of Fagaloa, on 
the north side, could, by improvement, be made a valua- 
ble harbor ; but perhaps it would not be worth the trouble 
as it is so near the port of Apia. The inner passage 
between the reef and shore at high water insures easy 
communication for small boats, and such bays as Fagaloa, 
except during a gale, afford sufficiently good anchorage 
for vessels acting as tenders to ships taking in cargo at 
some secure central port." 

" I suppose Apia has a very good harbor ? " said 
Chester, inquiringly. 

" It is similar to that of Honolulu," replied the Cap- 
tain ; " the anchorages are from six to fourteen fathoms 
of water. The removal of a few coral rocks near the 
shore would add greatly to harbor facilities, while a haH 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 463 

mile of wharfs could be built, which, with a sea-wall^ 
would render the port a secure and valuable depot, as 
well as a general maritime resort. The richness of the 
soil, the varied resources, capable of supporting a large 
population, and its central position as to population and 
area, make Apia the natural entr6p6t for Samoa." 

"There are many foreigners at Apia, are there not?" 
asked Eugene. 

" The white population numbers more than two hun- 
dred," was the reply. 

" What are they chiefly ? " 

" German and English, though there are many Ameri- 
cans. It is the residence of English, American, and 
German consuls, while the Roman Catholic Bishop acts 
as representative of the French government. It is the 
headquarters for the Pacific Islands of a great Hamburg 
commercial house, and several American enterprises are 
just starting. The foreign residents are mostly traders 
from the colonies, with small stores and liquor-saloons, 
trading with natives, and living, I am sorry to say, worse 
than useless lives, having no sympathy with the natives, 
and for selfish purposes ever ready to foment trouble 
among them." 

Eugene was about to speak, but just at that moment 
came a welcome diversion, it was the cry of ' Land ho ! ' 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the Captain, starting to his feet, 
that is Tutuila." And rapidly the volcanic peaks of the 
beautiful isle came into view. 

As they drew nearer, Eugene exclaimed : 

" Why, Captain, it is much larger than I thought." 

" It is seventeen miles long and from two to five wide," 
returned the Captain. 

" What a number of pretty villages we can see," re- 
marked the young man presently. 



464 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

" There are just fort3'-tliree on the island, and each is 
governed by an independent chief," said the Captain. 

" Forty-three island villages ! " repeated Eugene, " and 
each one as lovely as a dream ! " 

But the steamer was under full headway, and Tutuila 
was soon left far astern. All thoughts were now turned 
to Upolu, and some hours later they were in the vicinity 
of the island ; but it was now night, and they did not 
enter the splendid harbor of Apia until the next morning. 

In less than an hour after they had landed Eugene had 
made up his mind that there were many more Americans 
in the town than the Captain had led liim to suppose. 
And in this he was right ; for within a comparatively 
short period a considerable number of our countrymen 
had been induced to settle there, believing that the time 
would soon come when the group would be under the full 
protection of the United States. 

Having first called at the residence of Mr. Morris 
Davis, a warm personal friend of the Captain — in fact, 
the one who had explored the ruins and the caverns with 
him — they proceeded to the United States consulate, 
where they found Mr. Griffin, the consul, and a large 
number of letters and newspapers from home. 

Having craved and received the consul's permission, 
they opened and read their precious letters, and Chester 
soon became particularly interested in one which had 
every appearance of having been penned by a female 
hand. Eugene, after casting several inquiring glances at 
his brother, at length softly whispered : 

" A ten-dollar gold piece that it 's from Oracle, my 
boy." 

"Well, and what then?" asked Chester, flushing vio- 
lently. 

" What then ? Why, nothing ; only don't let it give 
you the blues ; that 's all." 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 467 

" Its effect will be very far from that, I promise you," 
said Chester ; " indeed, it contains an assurance that I 
might not have received — at least, not so soon, had I 
remained quietly at home." 

" Then there is so much more to be set down to the 
credit of the expedition," laughed Eugene. 

While the brothers were thus engaged, Captain Brad- 
ford had been glancing over a New York paper. Sud- 
denly throwing it down and turning to the consul, he 
asked : 

" Is there any truth in the report that Germany is 
laying her plans to take possession of these islands, Mr. 
Griffin ? " 

"I fear there is only too much truth in it," was the 
regretful reply. 

" Wliat ! will the United States permit it ? " 

" It seems to me, in that line, our country will permit 
almost anything. I can only judge the future by the 
past, you know." 

" But, Mr. Griffin," objected Mr. Davis, "you forget the 
triple agreement." 

" To what do you refer ? " asked the Captain. 

" Why, the United States, England, and Germany have 
a treaty, mutually guaranteeing the independence of 
Samoa." 

" True," assented the consul ; " and that treaty has 
yet several years to run, unless terminated by mutual 
agreement." 

" Well," said the Captain, " the English seem to be 
growing very suspicious, any way. Here is what one of 
their newspapers says," . and taking up the journal, he 
read : 

" ' Germany is rapidly increasing her trade in Poly- 
nesia. This trade began in the Samoan Islands and has 
extended on all sides. The chief commercial port of the 



468 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

Germans is Apia, in the Island of Upolu. The largest 
Teutonic population is found in the Hawaiian Islands, the 
number now exceeding 1,000. At Honolulu alone there 
are more than one hundred -and twenty German mer- 
chants, and seventy-two out of eighty-two sugar planta- 
tions are in German hands. The trade hetween Oceanica 
and Hamburg is said to amount to nearly $1,000,000 per 
annum. Prince Bismarck, it is said, has fully determined 
to gain a permanent foothold in this part of the world, 
and the indications are that his iron grasp will fall upon 
Samoa.' " 

" All that you have read about the growing German 
trade in Polynesia, is quite true," said Mr. Griffin ; " and 
there is not the slightest doubt that Bismarck's palm 
fairly itches to grasp these rich and lovely isles." 

" I trust the day is far distant when he will do' so, at 
any rate," rejoined the Captain. 

" Well, Bradford," said Mr. Davis, after a pause, " it is 
nearly noon, and I want you and your friends to return 
to my house with me. We shall find a gentleman there 
whom you will be glad to see." 

" Who, pray ? " asked the master of the Albatross^ 
wonderingly. 

" Do you remember Captain Watson ? " 

" What ! James Watson of the Neptune ? " 

" The same." 

" Of course I do." 

" Well, he arrived in port only yesterday, and he has a 
passenger with him, a professor in one of your New Eng- 
land colleges, I believe." 

" What 's that ?" asked Professor Singleton, with eager 
interest. " Do you recall his name, sir ? " 

" Gregory — Professor William Gregory, if I'm not 
mistaken." 

"Well, well!" exclaimed the palasontologist, highly 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 469 

excited, " this is fortunate. From our own college, my 
young friends. Only think of it. What a delightful 
meeting ! Let us go at once, I beg." 

" One moment," smiled the Captain, " you quite forget 
the main object of our visit here." Then turning to the 
consul : " Mr. Griffin, does it so happen that you have at 
any time come in contact with one George Thompson, a 
sort of trader among the islands ? " 

" Thompson — George Thompson," mused the consul. 
" Does he own a small and fast-sailing schooner — the 
Rover, I think it is called ? " 

" That 's the man." 

" Well, then. I saw him this very day. He came here 
from Nine, I believe." 

" What ! " exclaimed the brothers, in a breath, " he is 
in this town now ? " 

" Not quite so fast, my friends," smiled the consul. " I 
did not say that. He was here ; and I saw him less than 
an hour before you called." 

" What luck ! " cried Eugene. "And where is he now ? " 

" He has gone to Pago-Pago in the little vessel which 
brought him here." 

" Captain," 'exclaimed Eugene, turning to the com- 
mander of the yacht, " you remember the craft that was 
getting under way just as we came ashore ? " 

" Yes, I remember." 

"Well, that was the vessel. I am sure of it." 

" Without the shadow of a doubt," agreed the consul. 

" Then let us start for Pago-Pago at once," said Eugene, 
promptly. 

" Better remain where you are," advised the consul. 
" He expects the Rover here in a day or so, to take him 
to Tonga, and will return to-morrow. If you undertake 
to follow him, you only run the risk of missing him ; 
and if you wish very much to see him, your best course 



470 THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 

will be to keep a sharp lookout for the Rover, and when 
she arrives, keep an eye on her. In that way you are 
pretty sure to nail him." 

" That 's it ! " agreed the Captain ; " and that 's just 
what we will do. And now, as we have already taken 
up too much of your valuable time, Mr. Griffin, we will 
transfer the infliction to my friend Davis, here." 

" I can stand it," laughed Mr. Davis ; " so come along, 
or I fear Captain Watson and the Professor will be get- 
ting impatient." 

So, after promising to see the consul again, they ac- 
companied Mr. Davis to his delightful home, in the 
pleasantest part of the town, and there found Captain 
James Watson and Professor William Gregory patiently 
awaiting his return. 

The astonishment of these two worthy gentlemen on 
beholding the one, an old friend and brother officer, and 
the other, an old class-mate and brother professor in the 
same college, can better be imagined than described. It 
almost took away their appetites, which had been growing, 
with enforced delay ; but after much talking and com- 
paring of notes, all sat down to a bountifully spread table, 
and enjoyed a hearty repast. 

After it was over, and they had once more gathered in 
the drawing-room, Professor Singleton seized his brother 
professor affectionately by the button-hole, and exclaimed : 

" And so, my dear frater, you have been rambling over 
Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania ? How I q\\\j 
you ! " 

" Yes, it has been a most delightful trip, " assented 
Professor Gregory, " and I have enjoyed it exceedingly." 

" The Australians — I mean the Anglo-Australians — 
are quite a go-ahead people, I have been led to believe," 
said Eugene, in a tone that invited further information 
on the subject. 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. 471 

" They are, indeed, my young friend," answered Pro- 
fessor Gregory, readily. " They are rapidly developing 
the country, and building up some really splendid cities 
in that great and far-away island." 

" I wish you would tell us something about the country 
and its inhabitants," said Eugene. 

"Ah! do, my dear Professor," urged the palseontologist. 

" I am perfectly willing to do so, if it would be agree- 
able to the company," and Professor Gregory looked in- 
quiringly toward Mrs. Davis. 

" We should be delighted, I am sure," said their host- 
ess, in answer to the look. 

" Wait a moment before you begin ! " exclaimed Mr. 
Davis. " It is a delightful evening, and I think we would 
be more comfortable out on my little veranda here, — 
come," and passing through the open windows, they 
seated themselves on the pretty open portico, and under 
the dark-leaved bread-fruit trees and waving palms. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

AUSTRALIA.— TASMANIA. 

^^~|\ /T"Y visit," began Professor Gregory, "as you 
IV I kiiOAv, was not alone to Australia, but to 
other islands of Australasia, — a name, by the way, 
given by modern geographers to what is now regarded as 
the fifth division of the globe ; and though at first con- 
fined to Australia and its contiguous islands, is now made 
to comprehend all the islands in that part of the Pacific, 
commencing with Papua, and including the Admiralty 
Islands, New Britain, New Ireland, and even the Solomon 
Archipelago on the north ; Queen Charlotte's Isles, the 
New Hebrides, and New Caledonia on the east ; Tasma- 
nia, New Zealand, and Chatham Isle on the south and 
southeast ; and all the interjacent islands. A part of 
these, I think, as, for instance, the New Hebrides, New 
Caledonia, Queen Charlotte's, and. indeed, the Solomons, 
should be classed with the Loyalty and Fiji Islands in 
Melanesia, as Logan and others place them. The English 
usually restrict the term Australasia to the great island, 
and Tasmania, and New Zealand. The French, on the 
other hand, make the name Melanesia include not only 
what is generally understood by that term, but all Aus- 
tralasia besides. 

" Of course, I only visited a few of these many islands, 
and the first on which I set my foot was Australia. We 
came to anchor in Port Phillip, and shortly afterwards 
I landed in Melbourne, the Capital of Victoria, on the 
banks of the Yarra-Yarra River, about nine miles from 
its mouth, at the upper end of the great estuary. It is 

(472) 



- AUSTRALIA. 473 

a city of about 225,000 inhabitants, and growing quite 
rapidly. The principal part of the town is on the north 
.side of the river, but some wards lie on the southern side. 
The river is spanned by a substantial bridge. On the 
north side the chief part of the town lies in a valley with 
its suburbs carried over two hills. The south side is flat 
and swampy, excepting the sandy margin of Hobson's 
Bay, where Sandridge, now a part of the city, stands. 
The streets of Melbourne are mostly laid out at right- 
angles, wide, straight, and running the whole length and 
breadth of the town. They are macadamized in the 
middle, well drained, mostly flagged at the sides, and 
lighted with gas and electricity. It is quite a handsome 
city, with the exception of some very narrow streets or 
lanes in the older part. In general the buildings are 
either of brick or stone, and well constructed. It became 
the seat of a Roman Catholic bishop in 1847, and of an 
Anglican bishop in 1848 ; some years later the Catholic 
diocese Avas erected into an archbishopric. Among the 
many prominent buildings are the houses of parliament, 
the post-office, the treasury, the custom-house, the free 
library — with an excellent museum of art and a reading- 
room, — an opera house, several theaters, and a costly 
club house. 

" Of course, I was greatly interested in the rapidly 
growing university, which, as perhaps you will remember. 
Professor, was opened in April, 1855. It occupies a beau- 
tiful site, just north of the city, and has some forty acres 
of land, which form part of extensive pleasure grounds. 
The buildings are arranged in a parallelogram, something 
after the plan we hope in time to carry out. The institu- 
tion has departments of law, medicine, civil engineering, 
and arts, and enjoys an annual government appropriation 
of about 145,000." 

" There is a gallery of fine arts, and a botanic garden 



474 



AUSTRALIA. 



attached to the nniversity, if I remember rightly," said 
Professor Singleton. 

" Yes," assented the other, " and also a public museum 




RIVER YARRA-YARRA, AT ST. HUBERT. 

of natural history, manufactures, and mining, as well as 
a bureau of statistics, with a fine observatory." 

" I have heard that they have excellent water-works," 
suggested Chester. 



ATTSTEALIA. 



475 



"Yes," rejoined Professor Gregory, "the Yan-Yean 
water-works supply the city from an artificial lake formed 
in the valley of the Plentey River, more than eighteen 
miles away." 




li»a^±i^ 



"And they have several very fine parks or pleasure 
grounds, have they not ? " asked Eugene. 

" Yes," and all in the immediate neighborhood of the 
city," was the reply. 



476 AUSTRALIA. 

" I suppose Fitzroy gardens is considered the finest ? " 
said Eugene. 

" Perhaps ; but the Royal. Park and Carlton Garden are 
very beautiful." 

" T suppose there are several railways leading into the 
city ? " said Chester, inquiringly. 

" Yes, four," answered the Professor, " besides a short 
one connecting it with the harbor. And there are good 
roads to all the principal points in the country." 

"I presume you made some delightful excursions?" 
suggested Professor Singleton. 

" I did, indeed," was the emphatic reply ; " and one of 
the most delightful was up the valley of the Yarra-Yarra, 
as far as St. Hubert. I have gazed upon many pleasant 
scenes, but few more beautiful than the river at that 
point. I shall never forget it." 

" St. Hubert is quite an interesting place, is it not ? " 
asked Eugene. " I have heard something of its extensive 
vineyards." 

" Have you ever visited any of the magnificent vine- 
yards of California ? " asked Professor Gregory. 

" Never," answered Eugene, regretfully. 

" Then I fear I can hardly give you an adequate idea 
of those of St. Hurbert. They cover acres — I might 
say square miles ; rows upon rows of stakes, some three 
or four feet high, to which the vines are tied, and these, 
at the proper season, loaded with delicious grapes. It is 
a wonderful sight." 

" You went to Sydney, of course ? " said Chester. 

"Certainly," was the reply; "and was greatly inter- 
ested in the rapidly increasing town. It is situated on 
the south side of a lovely bay called Port Jackson, and 
is the capital of New South Wales. The city is regularly 
laid out, after the most approved modern examples ; the 
streets are long and spacious, the buildings well erected, 



AUSTRALIA. 477 

and the place adorned with many very superior public 
institutions and edifices of a beautiful architectural design. 
The stores of Sydney are particularly fine, indeed impos- 
ing, and in many instances hardly second to those of New 
York or Boston. The city is the residence of the Gov- 
ernor of New South Wales, is the see of a bishop and 
the abode of the prelate, and the center of the judicial 
courts, and may be regarded as one of the two great 
centers of literature for all the Australian colonies. 
Connected with the university, whose degrees confer the 
same rank as those of the English universities, are St. 
Paul's Anglican college, St. John's Roman Catholic col- 
lege, a Presbyterian college, and a Wesleyan college. 
There are also a normal school, a nautical school, many 
public and private schools, a free museum, a free library, 
an observatory, several daily and weekly papers, and 
eight or ten monthly periodicals." 

",The harbor, I suppose, is one of the best in the 
world," said Chester. 

" It is a magnificent harbor," replied the Professor. 
" It is completely landlocked, and the largest vessels can 
come close to the wharves ; and extensive ship-yards and 
dry-docks furnish every facility for repairing vessels. 
The port is defended by several well-constructed forts 
and batteries." 

" What is the population?" asked Mr. Davis. 

" With the suburbs, I should think, not far from 
160,000." 

" Where did you go, from Sydney ? " asked Eugene. 

" I hired a very good team and driver, and with the 
Captain here, went right across the mountains into the 
interior, a hundred and fifty miles or so, and so gained a 
general idea of the appearance of the country. We 
stopped at Paramatta and Windsor, both important coun- 
try towns, and passed the first night in a village on the 
20 



478 AUSTEALIA. 

banks of a river, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, 
nearly forty miles from Sydney. The roads were excel- 
lent, being thoroughly macadamized, and it was a pleasure 
to ride over them. The one we took is much frequented, 
and perhaps is the oldest in the colony. The land is 
inclosed with high rail fences, kept in good repair. There 
are many substantial houses and good cottages to be seen 
on every hand ; but, although a large portion of the land 
is under cultivation, there are still many tracts in a wild 
state. 

" The extreme uniformity of the vegetation is the most 
remarkable feature in the landscape of this part of Aus- 
tralia. Everywhere there are open woodlands, the ground 
being partially covered with a thin pasture, with little 
appearance of A^erdure. At one time we entered a grove 
of giant trees, the finest we had hitherto seen. We both 
uttered cries of admiration at sight of the eucalypti, two 
hundred feet high, whose spongy bark was at least five 
inches in thickness. The trunks measured twenty feet 
in circumference, and were furrowed by streams of odor- 
ous sap. Not a branch, not a twig, not a single shoot, 
not even a knot, disfigured their perfect symmetry. They 
could not have issued smoother from the hand of the 
turner. They were like so many columns exactly mated, 
and could be counted by hundreds, spreading at a vast 
height into capitals of finel3^-shaped branches adorned 
with vertical leaves, from which hung solitary flowers, 
whose calices were like inverted urns. Nearly all the 
trees we saw belonged to this family, and mostly had 
their leaves placed like these, in a vertical, instead of, as 
with us, in a horizontal position. The foliage was scanty, 
and of a peculiar pale-green tint, without any gloss. For 
this reason the woods appeared light and shadowless. 
This, although a loss of comfort to us and to all travelers, 
under the scorching rays of the sun, must be of import- 



AUSTRALIA. 479 

ance to the farmer, as it allows grass to grow where 
otherwise it would not. The trees are evergreen, not 
shedding their leaves periodically." 

• Why is it," asked Eugene, "that the leaves present 
their edges and not their faces to the sun ? I don't 
understand it." 

" In Australia," said Professor Gregory, " where the 
air is exceedingly dry, where rains are rare, and the soil 
is parched, the trees need neither wind nor sun. Hence 
these narrow leaves seek to defend themselves against 
the elements and preserve themselves from too great an 
evaporation. They, therefore, present their edges and 
not their faces to the action of the solar rays. There is 
nothing, my young friend, more intelligent than a leaf." 

" The leaves of the eucalypti, at least, seem to be very 
intelligent," rejoined Eugene. 

" Much more so than the botanist who gave them their 
name," smiled the Professor. 

" Why, what does the word mean ?" asked Mr. Davis. 

" It comes from the Greek words ev x«Xu7n-w, signifying 
I cover well,'^ answered Professor Gregory ; "but you can 
readily understand from what I have said, that the vari- 
ous eucalypti do not cover at all well." 

" But all the eucalypti are not exactly such trees as 
those you have described, nor all the forests so clean and 
free from undergrowth," said Chester. 

" You are right, my young friend," returned the Pro- 
fessor, " there are varieties of the eucalypti which more 
nearly resemble trees of other species, and there are 
extensive forests where the greater number of the trees, 
with the exception of some of the blue-gums, do not 
attain a large size. I remember passing over a road 
through the gum-trees in the valley of the Blackspur. 
It was a most romantic drive. Now and then, — not 
often, — we came upon a species of palm. Acacias, of 



480 AUSTRALIA. 

which there are more than a hundred varieties, were to 
be seen on every hand. Cedars were abundant ; and at 
certain favorable points we beheld wonderful specimens 
of the arborescent ferns, some thirty feet high, and put- 
ting forth branches from eight to twelve feet long. But 
among the more numerous trees were the xanthorehoece, 
the principal kind being the black boy or grass gum-tree. 
The undergrowth everywhere was luxuriant, and in some 
places even dense." 

" Are the Australian forests as silent as I have heard 
them described ? " asked Eugene. " Of course," he 
quickly added, " there are few animals, but are there no 
birds to make a noise ? " 

" Sometimes," rejoined the Professor, " we would travel 
all day long through such a forest as I first mentioned, 
and meet neither quadruped nor human being. A few 
cockatoos inhabited the tops of the trees ; but at that 
height they could scarcely be distinguished, and their 
chattering was an almost inaudible murmur. Sometimes 
a flock of parrots would shoot across a distant vista, 
illumining it with a rapid flash of variegated light. But 
generally a deep silence reigned in this vast temple 
of verdure, and the measured tread of the horses, a few 
words exchanged now and then in desultory conversation, 
the cracking of the whip, and from time to time a cry 
from the driver as he urged on his span, were the only 
sounds that disturbed this. vast solitude." 

" Ah ! " exclaimed Eugene, " the Australian parrots 
and parrakeets ! Please tell us something about them, 
Professor." 

" Well, as I have said, in the woods there were not 
many birds ; but we often saw large flocks of the white 
cockatoo feeding in the corn-fields, and a few most beauti- 
ful parrots came under our observation. The parrakeet 
cockatoo, although not clothed with the brilliant plumage 



AUSTEALIA. 483 

that decorates so many of the parrot family, is a remark- 
ably pretty bird, and is worthy of notice, not only for the 
curious crest with which its head is adorned, but for the 
grace and elegance of its form. With the exception of 
the head, on which a little crimson and yellow are seen, 
its plumage is simply tinted with brown, gray, and white ; 
but these colors are so pure, and their arrangement so 
harmonious, that the eye does not at all look for brighter 
coloring. It is mostly seen upon the ground, where it 
runs with great swiftness, and is very accomplished at 
winding its way among the grass stems, upon the seeds 
of which it subsists. It is by no means a shy bird, and 
will permit of a close approach, so that its habits can be 
readily watched. When alarmed, it leaves the ground 
and flies off to the nearest tree, perching upon the 
branches and crouching down upon them lengthwise, so 
as to be invisible from below." 

" I think I should like to get a shot at that kind of 
game," mused Eugene. 

" There is no great difficulty in shooting it," returned 
the Professor ; " and that fact is a matter of some conse- 
quence to the hunter, as its flesh is notable for its tender- 
ness and delicate flavor." 

" The eggs of this species are pure white, are they 
not ? " asked Professor Singleton. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " and that is the case with 
parrot-eggs generally." 

" What is their number ? " 

" From four to six," said Professor Gregory. 

" Mr. Gould made a study of the parrakeet cockatoo, 
if I remember rightly," said Chester. " Did you ever see 
the result. Professor?" 

" Yes, indeed," was th3 answer, " and it is very inter- 
esting. He says ' the Interior portion of the vast conti- 
nent of Australia may be said to possess a fauna almost 



48 4 AUSTRALIA. 

peculiar to itself, but of which our present knowledge 
is extremely limited. New forms, therefore, of great 
interest may be expected when the difficulties which the 
explorer has to encounter in his journey toward the cen- 
ter shall be overcome. This beautiful and elegant bird 
is one of its denizens. I have, it is true, seen it cross 
the great mountain ranges, and breed on the flats between 
them and the sea ; still this is an unusual occurrence, 
and the few thus found, compared to the thousands 
observed on the plains stretching from the interior side 
of the mountains, proves that they have, as it were, over- 
stepped their natural l)oundary. 

" ' Its I'ange is extended over the whole of the southern 
portion of Australia, and, being strictly a migratory bird, 
it makes a simultaneous movement southward to Avithin 
one hundred miles of the coast, in September, arriving 
in the York district, near Swan River, in Western Aus- 
tralia, precisely at the same time that it appears in the 
Liverpool plains, in the eastern portion of the country. 

'"After breeding and rearing a numerous progeny, ll;e 
whole again retire northward in February and March, 
but to what degree of latitude toward the tropics they 
wend their way, I have not been able to ascertain. 1 
have never received it from Port Essington, or any other 
port in the same latitude, which, however, is no proof 
that it does not visit that part of the country, since it is 
merely the range near the coast that has yet been trav- 
ersed. In all probability it will be found at a little dis- 
tance in the interior, wherever there are situations suit- 
able to its habits, but doubtless at approximate periods 
to those in which it occurs in Xew South Wales. It 
would appear to be more numerous in the eastern divis- 
ions of Australia than in the western. During the sum- 
mer of 1839, it was In-ecding in all the apple-tree (Ango- 
pliora) flats, on the Upper Hunter, as well as in similar 



AUSTRALIA. 485 

districts on the Peel and other rivers which flow north- 
ward. 

" ' After the breeding season is over, it congregates in 
numerous flocks before taking its departure. I have seen 
the ground quite covered by them while engaged in pro- 
curing food, and it was not an unusual circumstance to 
see hundreds together in the dead branches of the gum- 
trees in the neighborhood of the water, "a plentiful supply 
of which would appear to be essential to its existence ; 
hence, we may reasonably suppose that the interior of 
the country is not so sterile and inhospitable as is ordina- 
rily imagined, and that it yet may be made available for 
the use of man. The harlequin-bronzewing and the war- 
bling grass-parrakeet are also denizens of that part of 
the country, and equally unable to exist without water.' 

" The head and throat of this species are yellow, and 
there is a patch of crimson on the ears. Upon the head 
there is a long, slender, painted crest, yellow at the base 
and gray at the tip, giving the bird so curious an aspect 
that at first sight it appears either to be a cockatoo or a 
parrakeet, as the eye is directed to the crest or the gen- 
eral form. The back and under portions of the body are 
brown, and a large part of the wings is white. The 
central tail-feathers are brown, and the rest gray. The 
female is distinguished from the male by a green-tinge, 
which pervades the yellow of the head and throat, and 
the numerous bars of yellow and dark-blackish-brown, 
which cross the tail." 

" What are some of the other birds. Professor ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Among the peculiar birds are the emu, the black 
swan, the ibis, and the ' laughing jackass ' or ' bushman's 
clock.' Then birds of paradise and orioles are abundant ; 
a large king-fisher, with a remarkable voice, is often seen, 
and there are several of the largest species of eagles, 
falcons, and owls." 



486 AUSTEALIA. 

" I sliould like to hear something about the animals — 
what few there are," said Eugene. 

" The animals of Australia are peculiar, not less in 
themselves than in their distribution," remarked the PrO' 
fessor. " The carnivora are few, and the only really 
destructive beast of prey is the dingo, an animal in size 
between a fox and a wolf, and resembling a dog. The 
dingoes roam ' about in packs and attack sheep, killing 
and wounding many, but eating few." 

"There are no ruminating animals, I think?" said 
Chester. 

" None, whatever, and pachyderms are unknown. But 
while this strange country is thus deficient in the classes 
of animals most abundant elsewhere, its faiina consists 
very largely of a class almost unrepresented in other 
parts of the world." 

" You refer to the marsupialia, or pouched animals," 
said Eugene, quickly. 

" Exactly," assented the Professor ; " and of these the 
largest and perhaps the most common is the kangaroo. 
A smaller species of this animal is called the wallaby. 
The opossum, the flying opossum, and a carnivorous 
pouched animal, the dasyurus, are the other species most 
frequently met with." 

" Then there is the duck-bill," suggested Eugene. 

" You mean the ornitliorliynclvnB^'' returned the Profes- 
sor ; " it belongs to the family of monotremata, and is a 
water animal shaped like a beaver, but has web feet, a 
bill like that of a duck, and, in the case of the male, 
spurs upon the hind feet. The other species is the 
echidna, or porcupine ant-eater. There are several spe- 
cies of rodents, most of them small and insignificant, 
but one somewhat larger and resembling the beaver in 
its habits." 



AUSTRALIA. 



487 



" I suppose you fell in with some few of the aborigines 
while in the country ?" said Captain Bradford, inquiringly. 

"Yes," replied Professor Gregory, "the second or third 
day after we left Sydney, on the excursion I have before 
alluded to, a party of a score or more passed by, each car- 
rying, in their accustomed manner, a bundle of spears and 
other weapons. ^^^ 

They were all part- 
1 y clothed, a n d 
most of them could 
speak English. 
They were, as a 
whole, good-natur- 
ed and not bad 
looking, and they 
appeared far from 
being such utterly 
degraded beings as 
they have usually 
been represented. 

"A little later 
we passed a young- 
looking w m a n, 
nearly naked, with 
a child strapped 
to her back, and a the wanderers. 

bucket containing a few implements fastened to her hip. 
She held a staff in her hand, apparently to aid her in 
walking, and a piece of sheep-skin partially protected the 
child. Whether these two wanderers belonged to the 
band that had gone on before, or not, I cannot say, but 
if so, the woman showed no anxiety to catch up with her 
friends. It is curious thus to see, in the midst of a civ- 
ilized people, a set of harmless savages wandering about 
without knowing where they shall sleep at night, and 

20* 




488 AUSTRALIA. 

gaining their livelihood by digging roots and hunting in 
the woods. 

" They seldom build huts or other fixed dwellings, but 
content themselves with a strip or two of bark, or a large 
bough, as a shelter from the wind. At best, their huts 
are of the rudest fashion, more like a kennel than a 
habitation. Whether they knew the use of fire is uncer- 
tain ; they now kindle fires liy rublnng two dry sticks 
together. But they frequently eat their food raw, and 
their cooking is performed by making a hole in the 
ground, lighting a fire in it, putting in the slain animal, 
and covering it with earth until the fire is out, when it is 
considered sufficiently cooked. In the wild districts they 
go entirely naked; in the vicinity of settlements they 
wear sheep-skins, or the blankets and clothing given to 
them by the settlers. Insensible, apparently, to the 
humanizing influence of love, they lie in wait for their 
brides, and having stupefied the unhappy creatures by 
savage blows, bear them on their backs to their huts, 
where they are often beaten into submissive slaves to 
their brutal masters ; and should the mother die, while 
suckling, the child is buried alive with its parent. The 
number of the aborigines is rapidly diminishing ; and it 
is probable a few more years will witness their total 
extinction." 

" They practice polygamy, I believe ? " said Chester, 
inquiringly. 

" Yes," assented Professor Gregorj^, " every man has 
as many wives as he can manage — not take care of, 
mind you, for they take care of him." 

" I wish you would give some further account of your 
excursion. Professor," said Eugene. 

" It would take too much time to do so, I fear ; indeed, 
I repent that I undertook the task." 

" At least, how far did you travel inland ? " 



AUSTEALIA. 491 

" Beyond Bathurst and Wellington, and then turning 
eastward, reached the coast at Port Macquarie." 

" Did you visit Queensland ? " 

" Yes, we landed at Brisbane, and crossing the Craig 
and Denham Mountains, followed the course of the Daw- 
son River to its juncture with the Fitzroy, and so reached 
Gladstone and Rockhampton." 

" And what interested you most in that region ? " 

" A bottle-tree, I think." 

" Ah, they must be very curious to look at." 

" They are very interesting. The tree belongs to the 
family Sterculiacece. It has the calyx five-cleft, usually 
colored ; no petals ; column of stamens with fifteen or 
rarely ten anthers; stigma peltate; carpels fite, distinct, 
with two or more ovules ; narrow, digitate leaves ; pani- 
culate, axillary infloresence ; flowers unisexual or polyga- 
mous, the female flowers expanding first." 

" But it is the trunk that is most curious, is it not ? " 

" Perhaps so, for it is expanded to a greatly dispropor- 
tionate size. Where the ground is rocky this remarkable 
expansion is greatest just below the branches ; but in 
favorable soils the foot of the tree is largest, forming a 
uniform cylindrical column, from whose summit the 
branches issue as from the neck of a bottle." 

" You went to South Australia, Professor ? " said Ches- 
ter, inquiringly. 

" Oh, yes," was the answer, " we spent some time in 
Adelaide and its vicinity." 

"Adelaide is quite an interesting city, is it not?" 
asked Mr. Davis. 

" It is, indeed," replied the Professor, " and has much 
to make it so. It is the capital of South Australia, is 
situated on the river Torrens, about seven miles from the 
Gulf of St. Vincent, where stands Port Adelaide, con- 
nected with the capital by a short railway ; for, in conse- 



492 AUSTRALIA. 

quence of the river terminating in a morass, and the 
draught of water only permitting ships of limited burden 
to pass, all vessels homeward and outward bound are 
compelled to discharge and take in their freights at Port 
Adelaide. The city is built on rising ground, on either 
side of the river, being connected by two bridges, thus 
dividing the city into two towns, North and South Ade- 
laide, both parts being laid out with spacious and well- 
built streets, running in parallel and diverging lines, 
imparting an appearance of extreme order and beauty to 
both divisions." 

" There are some fine buildings, I suppose ? " said 
Eugene. 

" Yes, among them the governor's house, government 
offices, banks, churches, and school-buildings." 

" The city has not grown as fast as Melbourne, I 
believe?" said Mr. Davis, inquiringly. 

" No ; but it has progressed with great steadiness, and, 
considering its natural staple, with a success equal to the 
most prosperous settlement in the South Seas." 

" It is not an old city, if I remember rightly," observed 
Chester." 

" The foundation of Adelaide," said Professor Gregory, 
" only dates back to the year 1834, and it was not till 1842 
that the place can be fairly said to have had vitality and 
strength. In that year copper was first discovered in the 
neighboring hollows of Burra-Burra, an event that imme- 
diately changed the occupation and destiny of the colony, 
and had so marked an effect upon the commerce and 
prosperity of the settlement, that the city and province 
at once rose to a state of healthy development that it had 
never before known ; and, though it was five years later 
before the mines were adequately worked, and made to 
produce a ' yield ' that raised mining in Australia to a 
state of fabulous wonder, such was the effect of the dis- 




A BOTTLE TREE. 



AUSTEALIA. 495 

coveiy, both on the social and political condition of the 
country, that South Australia thereafter took a position 
of commercial importance second to no dependency of 
the British crown in the southern hemisphere. Some 
idea of the immense value and importance of these cop- 
per mines may be formed from the fact that one individ- 
ual, holding a hundred <£5-shares, has drawn an annual 
fortune of X 11, 000, or about $55,000, in dividends. In 
1851 the prosperity of the city and province was seriously 
interfered with, and in a manner that threatened great 
misfortune, though from a singular cause, namely, the 
discovery of gold in the neighboring State of Victoria. 
This discovery produced such an effect on the minds of 
the people, and' so unsettled all social and industrial 
habits, that, in one year, between 1851 and 1852, no 
fewer than 12,000 men and 4,000 boys left the infant 
colony, their homes, wives, and mothers, for the gold- 
fields of Victoria. The want of men to work what had 
become the staple of the province, copper, and the paucity 
of laborers for the field and factory, produced a commer- 
cial panic that must have completely paralyzed every 
branch of trade," but for the judicious conduct of the 
governor, who, by causing a route to be opened direct 
from Adelaide to the diggings of Mount Alexander, and 
stamping the ingots, and using them as a means of cur- 
rency, caused a diversion in the transit of gold from 
Melbourne, large quantities being brought direct to Ade- 
laide. By these and other judicious measures, the colony 
was saved from what might have been its ruin ; and gold- 
mining, having now lost much of the enthusiasm that 
appertained to its earlier operations, and the general 
fever that disturbed all relations of society having died 
out, vast numbers of the people returned to their former 
avocations, and the province of Adelaide has once more 
returned to the even tenor of its commercial and prosper- 
ous career." 



496 



AUSTRALIA. 



" What is the population ? " asked Chester. 
" Between 40,000 and 45,000, ineluding Port Adelaide 
and Albert Town," was the answer. 




A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL. 

" There are some very fine public squares, I have been 
told," observed Mr. Davis. 

" Yes," assented the Professor ; " and a magnificent 
botanical garden with a conservatory." 



AUSTEALIA. 



497 



" Is not King William Street the central thoroughfare ? " 
asked Mrs. Davis. 

" It is ma'am ; and Hindly Street is- the chief business 
localitj." 




" I am told," remarked Professor Singleton, " that they 
export enormous quantities of wool." 



498 AUSTRALIA. 

" More than 7,000,000 pounds annually," rejoined the 
other Professor. 

"The soil of South Australia is very good, is it not?" 
asked Mr. Davis. 

" Like other parts of the country," said Professor 
Gregory, " the soil is extremely fertile and productive, 
yielding all manner of European and American fruits 
and vegetables in great abundance." 

" I think you said you saw something Ox the country 
round Adelaide," observed Eugene. 

" Yes, we made several excursions from the city, one 
to a point beyond Port Augusta, where we saw a curious 
specimen of the Australian Aboriginees. He had a face 
almost European in shape and expression, but the lower 
part was concealed under a forest of hair, and what was 
still more remarkable, his body and limbs were com|>letely 
covered with hair. Certainly he was the most singular 
specimen of the human race it was ever my fortune to 
meet with." 

" I suppose there are some wonderful sheep-runs and 
cattle ranges in the country ? " said Mr. Davis, who was 
becoming quite interested in Australia. 

"You may well say wonderful," returned Professor 
Gregory. "A sheep-run or station a thousand square 
miles in extent is nothing uncommon, and there are 
cattle stations in Queensland ranging from 5,000 to 7,500 
square miles." 

" Gracious ! " exclaimed Eugene, " do private individ- 
uals own as much land as that ?" 

" Very few," was the reply, " the land is generally held 
on lease from the government, at a merely nominal 
rental." 

"I don't wonder they export so much wool," said 
Chester. 

" Why," rejoined the Professor, " it is the land of the 



■ TASMANIA. 499 

grazier ; arid as it seems, it is a wonderful region for 
raising, .maintaining, and fattening live stock. A year 
or so ago Australia contained more than 62,000,000 of 
sheep, nearly if not quite 8,000,000 cattle, and over 
1,000,000 horses. When there is no grass, the animals 
live and thrive on the salt-bush and other shrub foliage." 

" I should think it would be a lonely life," observed 
Eugene. 

"Yes, bush life is lonely enough even now, in the 
remote regions, but it is nothing to the loneliness of the 
old days." 

" I suppose not," assented Eugene. Then suddenly : 
" From Australia where did you go ? " 

" To Tasmania," answered the Professor. 

" How did you like that island ? " 

" On the whole, very much indeed. We landed at 
Launceston, and from thence made trips to various parts 
of the island." 

" Tasmania is only a short distance from Australia, I 
believe ? " said Mr, Davis, inquiringly. 

" It is separated from Victoria by a strait one hundred 
and fifty miles wide and five hundred long, called Bass 
Strait. In appearance it somewhat resembles a heart, 
or an imperfect quadrilateral ; it is two hundred and 
twenty miles in length, north and south, and one hundred 
and sixty wide in its broadest part, and contains a super- 
ficial area of 23,000 square miles. 

" The northern coast-line is bold and precipitous in 
places, with alternate rocky headlands and low sandy 
beaches, on which, at certain seasons, a tremendous surf 
breaks with a deafening noise. The other sides of the 
island are generally high and rocky, and, being deeply 
indented, abound in safe harbors, bays, and inlets ; this 
is particularly the character of the south and eastern 
coasts. On the south side are situated Storm, Norfolk, 



500 TASMANIA. 

and Ralph Bays, and Tasman's and Forester's Peninsulas; 
on the north are Port Dalrjmple and Port Sourel ; and 
on the west coast Macquase Harbor and Port Davey." 

" I should judge the interior of the country must be 
mountainous," remarked Chester. 

" The interior," rejoined Professor Gregory, " presents 
constant alternations of hill and plain, mountain and 
valley, occasionally interspersed with lofty table-lands 
and wide stretches of rolling prairie, thinly wooded, but 
extremely fertile. A chain of lofty mountains in the 
western portion of the island runs from north to south, 
through the whole length of Tasmania, from which spurs 
or short off-shoots proceed in all directions. The average 
altitude of this chain is 3,500 feet. Mount Wellington, 
or Table Mountain, 4,195 feet high, forms the background 
to Hobart Town, and there are many other lofty moun- 
tains, some of them isolated, rising in solitary grandeur 
from the center of wide plains." 

" They must have plenty of good water then," observed 
Captain Bradford. 

" Tasmania is abundantly supplied with water," re- 
turned the Professor ; " it has several fine rivers, numer- 
ous streams, and, for its size, a large proportion of lakes. 
The Derwent and Ouse Rivers unite to form the splendid 
estuary, on the western shore of which is situated the 
capital of the island, Hobart Town, fifteen miles above 
its entrance into Storm Bay. The lakes of chief note 
are the Sorrel, St. Clair, and Great Lake." 

"Is the soil as good as that of South Australia?" 
asked Mr. Davis. 

" The soil," replied the Professor, " is very various ; in 
some places being extremely fertile, in others little better 
than desert sand. Along the banks of rivers the land, 
however, is remarkably rich, consisting of a black alluvial 
mold of an extraordinary and, in many directions, 
highly fertile character." 



TASMANIA. 601 

" I have heard the climate highly spoken of," remarked 
Chester. 

" The climate," said Professor Gregory, with enthusi- 
asm, " is extremely salubrious, and is regarded by Euro- 
peans as delicious, from being free from all sudden and 
extreme fluctuations of heat and cold. It exercises a 
marked influence on the health and physical condition of 
all new-comers, who not only feel themselves strengthened 
and revivified by a residence on the island, but even their 
natural term of life seems enlarged under the genial 
influence of the balmy air of Tasmania." 

" They must have plenty of fruit and vegetables," sug- 
gested Eugene. 

" All the fruits and vegetables of Europe and America 
grow in perfection," returned the Professor, " but, taken 
generally, Tasmania is more a grazing than an agricul- 
tural country ; this fact is evident from its staple produc- 
tions, which consist of wool, grain, cattle, sheep, oil, 
timber, and potash." 

" The island produces some valuable timber, does it 
not?" asked Mr. Davis. 

"The wood of Tasmania is particularly valuable," 
answered the Professor, " the forests abounding with 
timber of the most useful varieties, some trees attaining 
a height of one hundred and fifty feet, with a girth of 
sixty feet, and for shipbuilding and all ordinary purposes 
of carpentry are equal to the best oak or ash." 

" The eucalyptus is quite common, I suppose ? " said 
Chester, inquiringly, 

" Yes, in many parts certain varieties grow to a great 
size, and compose a noble forest." 

" You saw some fine specimens of tree-ferns, no 
doubt ? " queried Professor Singleton. 

" In some of the dampest ravines," rejoined the other, 
" tree-ferns flourish in a most extraordinarv manner. I 



502 TASMANIA. 

saw one which must have been at least twenty-five feet 
high to the base of the fronds, and was in girth exactly 
six feet and four inches. The fronds forming the most 
elegant parasols, produced a gloomy shade, like that of 
the first hour of night." * 

" Is the country rich in minerals ? " asked Mr. Davis. 

" The mineral resources of the island are consider- 
able," was the reply, " and embrace copper, iron, lead, 
zinc, manganese, coal, slate, sandstone, and quarries of 
white and gray marble." 

" There are but few native animals, I believe," said 
Chester. 

" Very few," assented the Professor, " the most remark- 
able being the kangaroo, of which there are five varieties, 
from the great forest kangaroo down to the brush rat 
kangaroo. The other animals are, the opossum, and a 
creature called the thylacinus cynocephalus, Avhich takes 
the place of the dingo or Australian dog, resembling a 
panther in its marks, and which shmis the presence of 
man, flying from him on every occasion, yet committing 
terrible ravages on the flocks, especially among the 
lambs." 

" The country is growing in importance very rapidly, 
is -it not ? " asked Captain Bradford. 

•" It is, indeed," answered the Professor, " the island is 
now divided into eleven counties, and there are many 
growing towns. Launceston, the Liverpool of Tasmania, 
is the chief town of Cornwall County, and is regarded as 
the northern capital ; while Hobart Town, in Bucking- 
ham, in the south, is the principal city and actual capital 
of the island. The government is vested in a lieutenant- 
governor, aided by an executive and legislative council. 
The population at this time is not far from 130,000." 

* See frontispiece. 



TASMANIA. 503 

" There are a number of islands which come under the 
government of Tasmania, I think ? " said Chester. 

" Yes,» those lying adjacent to the coast," explained the 
Professor ; " the most important of these form an archi- 
pelago on the northeast point of the island, separated 
from the county of Dorset by a narrow branch or arm of 
the sea called Banks Strait. This group consists of 
Flinders Island, two hundred miles in circumference, 
Chappell, Clarke, Barren, Franklin, and Vansittart Isl- 
ands, while a corresponding but much smaller group, off 
the opposite or northwestern point of land, lies nearer to 
the coast of Wellington County ; these are Albatross, 
the Three Hummocks, Hunter, Walker, and Robbin's 
Island. From Oyster Bay, or the Glamorgan Peninsula, 
on the east, to the Southwest Cape in the west, are Schou- 
ten, Maria, and the large island of Bruny, with the 
Needles and several rocky islets of no special account." 

" I should like to hear something of the history of 
Tasmania," said Eugene." 

" Well, I can very soon put you in possession of some 
of the more important facts," returned the Professor. 
" In 1642, the Dutch navigator, Abel Janssen Tasman, 
first discovered and took possession of the island, and, in 
honor of Van Dieman, the Governor of 'Batavia, gave it 
his name. It was not till the eleventh of March, 1773, 
that it became a British possession, when "it was immedi- 
ately surveyed. In 1798 Captain Flinders and Doctor 
Bass made a more accurate and complete examination of 
the island, with all its adjacent isles, preparatory to 
erecting it into a penal colony. It was not, however, till 
five years later, or the year 1803, tho^t Lieutenant Bowen, 
with a party of military and convicts, landed at Risdon, 
on the Derwent, and there established the first colony, 
at the same time changing the name of . the island from 
Yan Dieman to Tasmania. The unhealthiness of the 



504 TASMANIA. 

first site soon compelled the removal of the settlement 
to the opposite side of the Derwent, where a regular city 
was built, and called, after the Governor, Hohayt Town. 

" The infant colony made but little progress till 1820. 
From that time, however, the advance of Tasmania was 
rapid ; Launceston rose in commercial importance, and a 
spirit of enterprise and industry actuated every branch 
of society, while the discovery of a new source of wealth 
acted as a powerful stimulus to the colony. This dis- 
covery, which eventually became the great staple of Tas- 
mania, was wool. Of so little account was this important 
article deemed as late as 1827, that the average price of 
wool was Qd. per pound, the highest sum paid for best 
samples being only 7^d. From the moment when the im- 
portance of this article was first ascertained, the quality 
of the pasturage better understood, and new sheepwallis 
discovered, the increase of the flocks, a.nd the weight and 
quality of the fleeces, progressed at a ratio truly marvel- 
ous, till a state of prosperity was obtained that up to 
that time had had no precedent in colonial history. 

" The early years of the Tasmanian settlement, es- 
pecially from 1825 to 1837, were greatly disturbed by the 
depredations of the escaped convicts, or bush-rangers, 
and by the open hostility of the natives, who pillaged 
and murdered the outlying farmers and colonists wher- 
ever they encountered them ; so that, between the danger 
of the vindictive and prowling savage, and the brutal 
violence of the audacious convict, no man, unless armed 
to the teeth, could visit his fields or stir beyond the pro- 
tection of the stockade. After a few years the escaped 
convicts Avere all either captured, shot down in a hopeless 
resistance, or perished horribly in the bush from hunger 
or the maddening effects of cannibalism. The natives, 
however, still remained as implacable and vindictive as 
ever, all attempts of the government to pacify or subdue 



TASMANIA. 505 

them proving abortive ; nothing seemed to fully impress 
them with an adequate idea of the overwhelming power 
of the English, until the whole island, in 1830, was 
put under martial law, and by proclamation all the in- 
habitants commanded to assist in one great attempt to 
secure the entire race. The plan was to drive and con- 
fine them in the remote western part of the island, by 
drawing a cordon of 4,000 armed men across the country, 
and steadily advancing north. The attempt failed; the 
natives, having tied up their dogs, stole during one night 
through the lines, and no wonder that they could do so, 
when their manner of crawling after wild animals is 
considered. All efforts by force having failed, a Mr. 
Robinson, a solicitor of Hobart Town, a good Christian, 
and a worthy philanthropist, made an. offer to the gov- 
ernor by which he guaranteed to bring the whole native 
population in peace and obedience to the feet of his excel- 
lency. The project appeared so rash, dangerous, and 
impracticable, that the executive long refused to sanction 
the undertaking ; but the failure of the cordon scheme, 
and the increasing danger to society, at length wrung a 
tardy consent from the governor in the spring of 1837. 
Mr. Robinson, who had made himself familiar with a few 
words of the native language, totally unarmed, with only 
a knapsack of necessaries £»n his back, and attended by 
one or two Australian natives, who, he thought, might 
assist him, but who, in reality, were of no use, immedi- 
ately started on his perilous mission, and, plunging into 
the scrub, soon began to experience all the dangers of 
the undertaking. The privations endured for the want 
of food and water were the least of the perils he had to 
encounter ; the hostile natives perpetually threatened him 
with death ; indeed, his escape from the spears and tom- 
ahawks of the different tribes was often miraculous. By 
kindly words, by gentleness, and by sympathy for their 



506 TASMANIA. 

wrongs, he ultimately succeeded in accomplishing the 
duty he had assigned himself ; even to the subduing of 
the Oyster Bay tribe, the most implacable . of all the 
natives ; and before the end of the year this noble minis- 
ter of peace returned to Hobart Town followed by every 
native in Tasmania, unarmed, peaceful, and obedient as a 
flock of sheep ; and while the natives bivouacked in the 
streets and outbuildings, Mr. Robinson returned with joy 
and satisfaction to the bosom of his family. The govern- 
ment, rejoicing at the success of the undertaking, and 
the safety and confidence it imparted to the colony, fully 
confirmed all that Mr. Robinson had promised ; appointed 
that gentleman their guardian, and, assigning to them 
the whole of Flinders Island as a home and hunting- 
ground, transported all the natives to their new country, 
allowing to each individual a certain annual supply of 
blankets, implements, food, and necessaries of all sorts. 
In this large and beautiful island, closely adjoining their 
native country, huts Avere built for them, and, while 
allowed to follow their natural pursuits, a system of 
order, morality, and education, with Christian instruc- 
tion, was established for their welfare." 

" But it did not benefit them much, I fear," observed 
Eugene. 

" Right, it did not. The aborigines of Tasmania were 
descended from the Papuan negro, and differed but 
slightly from the natives of Australia. They were justly 
ranked among the lowest in the scale of intellect of all 
the races of the human family, and one of the most 
remarkable circumstances connected with them — the 
same, however, is true of all natives of Austrahisia — was 
the fearful mortality that attended them whenever the 
European settled in their neighborhood ; and this, too, 
without any assignable cause, for, even when well cared 
for, and allowed at the same time to pursue their natural 



TASMANIA. 607 

occupations and pastimes, and guarded from all the vices 
of the white man, as in Flinders Island, death, like a 
fearful Nemesis, still hung over their doomed path. In 
the year 1803, when the first English settlement was 
founded, it was ascertained that the entire number of 
aborigines in Tasmania was 1,600 ; of that number in 
thirty-four years, 1,300 had perished ; a few fell by war 
with the colonists, but by far the greater proportion by 
disease or natural causes ; so that in 1837, when Mr. Rob- 
inson returned from his mission, three hundred natives 
were all that could be found alive, and were the number 
transported to Flinders Island. They continued to de- 
crease, and in a few years were removed to Maria Island, 
and finally, in 1849, when only thirty-six remained, were 
taken to the vicinity of Hobart Town, where they were 
established in comfortable quarters. In 1870 only one, a 
woman, survived ; and now she, the last of her race, is 
gone." 

The silence that followed the Professor's last words 
was broken by an exclamation from the lips of Captain 
Bradford. 

" I declare ! " he exclaimed, " I had no idea it was get- 
ting so late. Eeally, my friends, Ave must be going." 

" But you are to remain with us to-night," interposed 
Mrs. Davis. 

" We should be delighted to do so," returned the Cap- 
tain, " but it is impossible ; certain matters demand our 
presence on board the yacht." 

" Come, come. Captain ; this won't do, you know," 
remonstrated Mr. Davis. 

" Indeed, we must go, my friend," replied the Captain, 
firmly ; " but we shall see you again to-morrow." 

" And then," said Eugene, turning eagerly to Professor 
Gregory, " you must tell us about New Zealand, and all 
the other islands that you visited." 
21 



508 TASMANIA. 

" I shall be glad to do so, if you think I can give you 
pleasure," smiled the good natured Professor. 

" No fear but you will do that," said Chester ; " we 
have enjoyed hearing you so much this evening." 

"Indeed we have, my dear friend," added Professor 
Singleton. Then, after the good-nights had been spoken, 
they hastened to the point where the boat was awaiting 
them, and were speedily pulled out to the yacht. 



CHAPTER XXYI. 

NEW ZEALAND — OTHER GROUPS AND ISLANDS. 

CAPTAIN BRADFORD and his passengers were 
early on deck the next morning, but no signs 
of the Rover greeted their eyes; and neither had the 
small craft in which " George Thompson " had gone to 
Pago-Pago the day before returned, though this was 
hardly to have been expected. 

" If we only knew just when the uncertain fellow 
would come back, or if we were sure it would not be 
to-day," said Eugene, while they were at the breakfast 
table, " we might make a delightful excursion into the 
interior of the island, or to some of the villages on the 
coast." 

" But we don't know anything about it, and hence it 
would be taking too much risk to leave Apia at this time," 
returned the Captain, quickly. 

" For my part," remarked the paleeontologist, " I enjoy 
the society of Professor Gregory and our other friends 
on shore too much to seriously regret being detained 
here for a day or so." 

" And surely, I have no cause to complain," said the 
Captain. " I have two old and tried friends in that pleas- 
ant island home, yonder, and being near them, I am 
content." 

" Well," said Chester, " as there is nothing to keep us 
on board the yacht, and as we all enjoy the society of our 
friends at the Davis's, I propose that as soon as we have 
finished our breakfast we go to them." 

(509) 



510 NEW ZEALAND. 

" But what about the Rover, and the other vessel ? " 
asked his brother. 

" Why, either Mr. Morgan, here, or Seth Cook, can 
keep a lookout for them, and send us word when either 
or both come into port." 

" Seth will remain on board," said the Captain. " Wat- 
son and Morgan are old friends, and Jasper would like a 
chance to see his old shipmate again." 

" By all means," exclaimed Chester, heartily. 

Matters being thus arranged, the party, a little later, 
left the yacht in charge of Seth Cook, and were pulled to 
the shore. 

They stopped for a few moments at the consulate, and 
then proceeded. to the residence of Mr, Davis, where they 
found their companions of the evening before gathered in 
the shade of the bread-fruit tree. 

The greeting between Captain Watson and Jasper 
Morgan, who had made more than one voyage together, 
was quite cordial ; it was plain to see they knew each 
other's worth. 

A picnic had been planned by Mrs. Davis, who was 
anxious- to take her guests to a lovely valley and bay, a 
few miles distant, but Captain Bradford explained the 
situation, and she at once declared that they were very 
well where they were, and that lunch should be served 
under the noble tree in whose shadow they reclined. 

A few minutes later, an opportunity offering, Eugene 
seized it to remind Professor Gregory of his promise of 
the night before. 

" Ah, you want to hear about the other islands I visited, 
my young friend ? " smiled the Professor. 

" Yes, sir," answered Eugene ; " but I am. not alone 
in this ; we all want to hear you." 

" Very good ; and as the islands of New Zealand were 
the first I saw after leaving Tasmania, we will begin with 



NEW ZEALAND. 



511 



New Ulster, tlie most northern of the group. We first 
cast anchor in the harbor of Wellington, now the seat of 
government for the islands, and the nest day sailed for 
Auckland. Since the latter city ceased to be the capital 
of New Zealand it has been outstripped in population by 
both Wellington and Dunedin, notwithstanding its fine 
harbor, or, rather, pair of harbors ; for it stands upon a 
narrow isthmus formed by two deep bays setting in from 
the opposite sides of 
the island, and al- 
most cutting it in 
two, each being an 
excellent port. But 
the abundant ship- 
ping I saw, evinced 
that it still has an 
extensive commerce. 

" There is much 
about Auckland to 
remind one of an 
English town, the 
hansom cabs and 
dog-carts, the som- 
ber-looking hotels, 
with their more som- 
ber apartments, 
whose walls are 
hung with portraits of the Queen and royal family, in 
close companionship with pictures of steeple-chases and 
fox-hunts, and the busy barmaids, always found in the 
public rooms of these hotels, flitting through the dense 
tobacco-smoke, supplying the foaming beverage to thirsty 
beer-drinkers, or dutifully waiting upon the rotund and 
very English landlords. 

" The public buildings are substantial structures, 




GREEN JADE ADZE AND CHISEL. 



612 



NEW ZEALAND. 



though not so fine as those I had seen in Melbourne. 
The one most interesting to me, and to all of us, was the 
museum, which contains a valuable collection of Maori 
articles of dress, tools, and implements of war. Among 
the first are mats, not unlike those of Samoa, made of 
the fine native fl.ax, tastefully dyed, and which, among 
themselves, constitute nearly their only article of dress. 
Among the tools and implements of war are a green jade 

adze and chisel, a common stone 
adze, and specimens of the amere- 
mere, or war-club. These clubs, 
as well as the first-named adze, 
are made of jade, ground, or 
rather rubbed, into shape, and 
polished with infinite labor. 
Years are often bestowed upon 
the fashioning of one of them. 

Among other curiosities are a 
number of carved feather-boxes. 
These are used by the Maori 
chiefs, to keep the tail-feathers 
of the huia in. This rare and 
beautiful bird is allied to the 
hoopoos, and is remarkable for 
the fact that the beak of the 
male is straight and stout, while 
that of the female is long, slen- 
der, and sickle-shaped. Its color 
is a dark-glossy-green, of so deep 
a hue that, in some lights, it seems to be black. The tail 
feathers, however, are tipped with snowy-white, so that 
when the bird spreads its plumage for flight, the tail 
looks at a distance as if it were black, edged with white. 
" The bird is only found in the hills near Port Nichol- 
son, and, as it is very timid, can scarcely be obtained 




STONE ADZE. 



NEW ZEALAND. 513 

except by the help of a native, who imitates its cry with 
wonderful precision. The name huia, is said to be merely 
an imitation of the long shrill whistle of the bird. They 
are so valued by the Maoris that in all probability the 
species would have been extinct by this time, but for the 
introduction of European customs, which, to a certain 
degree, have altered the native fashions and habits. 

"It is the tail feathers the chiefs most value, and for 
the safety of which the boxes are made. So much do 
I they prize these feathers, which they wear in their hair 
on great occasions, that they take the utmost pains in 
i the manufacture of the boxes. These boxes are made by 
\the chiefs themselves, and are covered with the most 
elaborate carvings, some of them being the finest speci- 
mens of art that can be found in New Zealand. 

" What other curiosities are there in the museum. Pro- 
fessor ? " asked Eugene. 

" I saw one thing worth mentioning," was the reply ; 
" it was a small fossil specimen of the extinct moa, that 
wingless bird, of whom partial skeletons have been found, 
indicating that it sometimes reached the height of seven- 
teen feet." 

" On the whole the city has rather a dingy look, has it 
not ? " asked Captain Bradford. 

" Yes, especially the central part," was the reply. 

" And if a man wanted to find a drinking-place, he'd 
have no trouble in that part of the town," added Captain 
Watson ; " for about every other house is one, and they 're 
all English, with English names." 

" Very true," smiled the Professor. " ' The Queen's 
Arms,' ' The Forester's Arms,' ' The Black Bull,' and 
' The Red Bull ' are to be seen in every street and alley." 

" The climate of New Zealand is very fine, is it not ?" 
asked Chester. 

" It is said to be the finest in the world," answered 
the Professor. 



514 NEW ZEALAND. 

" There are several islands ?" 

" Yes, two large and one small one, and a number of 
isles and islets lying off the coast." 

" Taken together they comprise a large extent of terri- 
tory?" 

"The whole group has a length of ahout 1,200 miles, 
and an area of more than 97,000 square miles, being 
much larger than Great Britain, and about twice as large 
as the State of New York." 

'■■'■ What is the population ? " 

" About 470,000, of whom 425,000 are colonists, mainly 
from England and Scotland, the remainder being Maoris." 

" You said there were three islands of importance ? " 
inquired Eugene. 

" Yes, the first, or northern island, is Ncav Ulster ; 
the central. New Munster ; and the last, or southern. 
New Leinster. The coasts of these islands, especially 
those of New Ulster, are deeply indented by bays, estu- 
aries, and creeks, all of them affording excellent anchor- 
age for ships even of a large size. A lofty chain of 
mountains, attaining an altitude of 14,000 feet, runs in 
a waving direction from north to south, through a part 
of New Ulster, and entirely through New Munster, form- 
ing what has been called the back-bone, from which, in 
all directions spring lofty branches or off-shoots trend- 
ing either east or west, or in diverging lines northeast 
and southwest. These lofty Alpine chains are clothed 
up to the snow-line with dense forests composed of splen- 
did and towering trees, while innumerable streams burst 
from all sides of the different ranges, and, forming 
mountain torrents and cataracts, precipitate their waters 
into the valleys to swell into rivers ; at the same time 
imparting to the scenery all the grandeur of an Alpine 
country." 

. " The islands are volcanic, of course ? " said Mr. Davis, 
in an inquiring tone. 



NEW ZEALAND. 615 

" All the islands of the group," returned Professor 
Gregory, " possess the marks of an igneous origin, while 
in many there are immense tracts which present all the 
grand and terrible desolation of a volcanic region ; here 
and there, as in Iceland and in our own great National 
Park, broken by boiling fountains and streams of seething 
waters." 

" Are there any active volcanoes ?" asked Mrs. Davis ;■ 
" if so, I should so like to see them." 

" In New Ulster there are two," replied the Professor, 
— " Mount Egmont, or Taranaki, which has an elevation 
of nearly 10,000 feet, and Tangarero, with an altitude of 
6,300 feet ; while in New Munster there is a third. Mount 
Arthur, exceeding 8,000 feet in height." 

" The group is rich in minerals, is it not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" The minerals are copper, manganese, coal, sulphur, 
lime, titaniferous iron, with indications of tin, lead, silver, 
bismuth, and nickel, and gold has been reported in abund- 
ance ; but, from the geological features of the country, 
that metal, I am inclined to believe, will not be found in 
any remunerative quantity." 

" But," observed Mr. Davis, " there is something better 
for a country, in the long run, than minerals — grain, 
and the like." 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " and though New Zea- 
land is generally so mountainous, it has several very 
extensive and fertile plains, and many beautiful valleys. 
The flax plant, sweet potato, a variety of ferns, and some 
fine timber trees are the chief indigenous vegetables of 
the islands ; but wheat, and all the European grains and 
vegetables introduced, have been cultivated with remark- 
able success, while the richness and abundance of the 
pasture renders it an admirable grazing country." 

" Then it's safe to be great some day." 
31* 



516 NEW ZEALAND. 

" I am sure of that." 

"There were very few native animals, Professor?" 
said Eugene, inquiringly. 

" A kind of fox-dog and a species of rat were the only 
quadrupeds known to the natives when Captain Cook 
first visited the islands," was the Professor's reply. 
" Now, however," he added, " all the domestic animals 
have been introduced and largely propagated." 

" Tasman discovered the group, did he not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" He discovered a part of one of the islands in 1641, 
or possibly 1642 ; but nothing further was known of the 
discovery till Captain Cook, in 1769 and 1770, thoroughly 
investigated the islands, and took possession of them in 
the name of his sovereign. From that time till 1814, 
the group was totally neglected, or only resorted to by 
the South Sea whaling ships ; in the latter year, however, 
a body of missionaries, from the Church of England Mis- 
sion, landed and commenced their arduous duties of civ- 
ilizing and Christianizing the cannibal savages, who then 
formed the native population. Missionaries of other 
denominations followed, and in 1839, these excellent 
pioneers having almost entirely altered the nature of the 
aborigines, the New Zealand Company sent out their first 
body of settlers, who founded a colony on Cook's Strait. 
In 1840 the sovereignty of Great Britain over the islands 
was formally proclaimed, and from that time the colony 
has slowly but steadily advanced." 

" I suppose the government is very similar to those 
of Victoria and New South Wales ? " said Chester, 
inquiringly. 

" It is much the same," was the reply. 

" For my part," said Eugene, " I should like to hear 
something more about the Maori natives. What do you 
think of them. Professor ? " 



NEW ZEALAND. 517 

" On the whole, they are a fine, well-made, and intel- 
lectual race of men, tall, with majestic features, and of a 
copper color ; they are honest, gentle, easily taught, gen- 
erous, and capable of appreciating the highest degree of 
civilization." 

" Oh, belay there. Professor ! " laughed Captain Wat- 
son ; " you 're carrying your praise too far." 

" How so ? " demanded the Professor, quickly. 

" Fine, well-made, and tall, you said." 

" I did." 

" The average height of the men is exactly five feet, 
six and one-quarter inches, and their average weight one 
hundred and forty pounds. They are not well-propor- 
tioned, their bodies and arms are too long, and their legs 
too short." 

" Well, what other objections have you to offer ? " 

" Intellectual, you said, with majestic features." 

"Well?" 

" I claim they are not particularly intellectual, and as 
for their majestic features, this picture will give some 
idea of them. It represents one of their most noted 
chiefs, and I assure you, my friends, he was greatly 
pleased with the faithful likeness. There's intellect for 
you ! There's majesty of features ! " Then taking another 
picture from his pocket : 

" Now just let me place this beside it. There ! how 
does it look now ? Where 's the intellect and majesty of 
features ? In the right-hand picture, or the left ? " 

" Here ! " exclaimed Captain Bradford, with a laugh, 
" don't make so free with my picture, I beg. Where did 
you get it, any way ? " 

" Why, you gave it to me the last time we met. Don't 
you remember." 

" Ah, yes ; but I had quite forgotten." 

" I had n't ; but come, good people, what have you to 
say to the two faces ? " 



518 



NEW ZEALAND. 



"It is not a fair comparison," objected Professor 
Gregory. 

" And why not ? " asked the Captain. 




" Why, Captain Bradford, here, has had all the advan- 
tages of centuries of civilization, while during those same 



NEW ZEALAND. 519 

centuries the tattooed chief's ancestors were groping in 
heathen darkness." 

" That's all very well ; but -whose fault is it ? " 

" There, you are getting away from the question now. 
For my part, I still hold firmly to this : Physically, the 
Maoris are a fine people. In stature and physical 
strength they will compare favorably with Europeans. 
Mentally and morally, in most respects, they rank far 
above the majority of uncivilized people. I '11 put it that 
way." 

" And I '11 let it pass at that," said Captain Watson. 

"What did you say of their complexion?" asked 
Eugene. 

" Generally they are of a light-brown color, with 
straight, black hair and prominent features," said the 
Professor. " I have seen a few," he added, " of much 
darker color, and with hair almost woolly, indicating a 
portion of other blood." 

" But whence came the admixture ? " asked Professor 
Singleton. 

" Ah, that is a matter of conjecture. Until the advent 
of the whites, a little more than a century ago, there is 
no evidence, from tradition or otherwise, that a single 
person from other shores had touched at the islands since 
the first canoe-loads of Maoris, a thousand in all, they 
say, drifted thither. For my own part, I am inclined to 
think that these blackest people are sprung from aborigi- 
nes, who were on the islands when the Maoris came. 
But in other respects I see no special difference between 
them and their brown neighbors. 

" The' Maoris have a great weakness for tattooing," 
remarked Eugene. 

" Yes, in that they have outstripped all other people," 
said the Professor. 

" I doubt if they are ahead of the Marquesans," inter- 
posed Captain Bradford, quickly. 



620 NEW ZEALAND. 

" I think they are," rejoined the Professor ; " but I 
don't know that I am able to prove it." 

" They are an affectionate people, and love their chil- 
dren, do they not ? " asked Chester. 

" I have never seen anywhere parents more fond of 
their children," was the reply. " They exert themselves 
to find means of amusement for them, and have many 
games. One of the most popular is a kind of swing — 
many single ropes fastened to the top of a tall and some- 
what flexible pole, which stands on a slight elevation. 
The children — boys and girls, indiscriminately — seize 
the dangling ropes and swing off the bank to a consider- 
able distance, returning with a rush. While they are 
thus at play, their parents come and sit down on the 
banks and watch them complacently." 

" The}^ live in what are called |:)aAs, built on peninsulas 
or on hill-tops, do they not ? " asked Mr. Davis. 

" They did live in pahs or fortified villages," returned 
the Professor ; " but of late, these forts have been aban- 
doned, except a few that are conveniently situated, and 
the natives live in open villages and farm-houses." 

" What was the particular use of the pahs ? " asked 
Eugene. " Were they always obliged to be on the 
defensive ? " 

" That 's it, exactly. The different nations were almost 
constantly at war, and deadly feuds were frequent between 
tribes. These contests were carried on with great feroc- 
ity, the defeated tribe being reduced to slavery or killed 
and eaten." 

"The pahs, then, served as a safe shelter for their 
wives and children and old men ? " 

" Yes ; and for the warriors, when they were too weak 
to take the field." 

" I knew they were cannibals." 

" Cannibalism was universal." 



NEW ZEALAND. 



521 



"What did Ihcy find to quarrel about?" 

" Land and women were the usual causes of strife, 




MAORI CHILDREN AT PLAY. 



but wars were not entered upon without much delibera- 
tion and attempts at conciliation." 



522 NEW ZEALAND. 

" They sometimes engaged in naval battles, I have seen 
it stated," said Chester. 

" Yes, sea-fights occasionally took place between fleets 
of canoes, the war canoes being eighty feet long, four 
feet wide, and four feet deep. They were propelled by 
fifty paddles." 

" They don't do much fighting now I suppose ? " 

" No, wars among them have nearly ceased since slavery 
and cannibalism have been removed l^y Christianity." 

" I am heartily glad to hear it. You say they quarreled 
about women ; when they got one was the marriage cere- 
mony elaborate ? " 

" Marriage among them did not involve any religious 
ceremonies whatever. Before marriage, girls not be- 
trothed were permitted to indulge in promiscuous inter- 
course if they pleased, and the more lovers they had the 
more highly they were esteemed. Married women, how- 
ever, were kept under strict restraint, and infidelity was 
punished severely, often with death." 

" Polygamy was practiced ? " 

"It was permitted, but was not common, and men 
could divorce their wives simply by turning them out of 
doors." 

" That was pretty hard on the women." 

" Yes, but since the introduction of Christianity a 
great change has taken place. The natives are now 
generally clothed like civilized men, and possess flocks, 
herds, furniture, houses, and cultivate lands. One half 
of the adults can read and write, and quite two-thirds 
of them belong to the Christian churches." 

" Oh, yes, they are becoming civilized," laughed Cap- 
' tain Watson, " Professor, do you remember that day we 
spent at Tauranga ? " 

"Of course. What of it?" 

" Do you remember watching the canoes as they crossed 



NOEFOLK ISLAND. 523 

the inlet, and how the dutiful wives would jump over- 
board, when their crafts could come no further up the 
shelving beach, and taking their lordly masters on their 
backs wade slowly ashore ? " 

" Why, yes ; but that was so they need not wet their 
shoes, you know." 

'" Oh ! that was it, eh ? And so -all the shoes in the 
family belong to the husband, do they?" 

" Why, yes. I believe so." 

" We saw all sorts of costumes that day, did n't we, 
Professor ? There would be a native clad in jaunty Euro- 
pean attire, of almost the latest fashion : high silk hat, 
well starched linen, nice spring overcoat, and swinging a 
dandy cane, and with him you might see another, whose 
wardrobe consisted only of a shirt and blanket. I 
remember one who wore a cap, a short coat, and — 
what do you think ? a pair of shoes, and nothing else ! 
Oh, they are great on shoes; if they can only get a pair, 
they are quite happy." 

" You are too hard on them, Captain," cried the Pro- 
fessor ; " I protest, it is not fair." 

At this moment Mrs. Davis, who had withdrawn to 
the house some time before, returned, and informed her 
guests that they must move and so make room for the 
table and lunch. 

The table was brought out, the good things were 
arranged upon it, and all were invited to partake. For a 
while they were too busy to think of islands ; but at 
length Eugene saw that Professor Gregory was ready to 
talk again, and so at once addressed him. 

" What island did you next visit, after leaving New 
Zealand ? " he asked. 

" Norfolk Island," was the reply. 

" It is a lovely spot, I have heard." 

" Yes, it is the largest and most delightful of a small 



524 NORFOLK ISLAND. 

cluster consisting of Norfolk, Ncpean, and Philip Islands, 
together with several islets, or rocks, called the Bird 
Islands." 

" How large is Norfolk ? " 

" It is about five miles long, with an average breadth 
of nearly three miles. Its area is fourteen square miles." 

" How far is it from Sydney ? " 

" Nine hundred miles." 

" Captain Cook discovered it, did he not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Yes, in 1774." 

" What are its general features ? " asked Professor 
Singleton. 

" The cliffs round the coast are steep and lofty, and 
form a frowning barrier to all hostile access and exit, 
rising in a perpendicular wall in many places to a height 
of two hundred and forty feet. It has no harbor, though 
the anchorage is good all round the island. The interior 
is hilly, and covered with dense forests, chiefly of a 
spruce-pine ; the soil is rich, deep, and very fertile, yield- 
ing excellent crops of cotton, indigo, and fruits — oranges 
and lemons growing in extraordinary abundance, and 
of rare quality. The guava, banana, yam, sweet potato, 
and arrow-root grow luxuriantly ; and coffee, maize, and 
wheat are raised." 

" Palms and tree-ferns grow on the island, do they 
not ? " asked Chester. 

"Yes," responded the Professor, "there is a small 
species of palm, and a gigantic tree-fern having fronds 
more than eleven feet in length." 

" There is at least one considerable mountain," said 
Captain Bradford. 

"Yes, Mount Pitt, in the northwest corner, rises to 
the height of 1,000 feet." 

" The climate must be delightful," observed Chester. 



ISLE OF PINES. 525 

" It is healthy and very agreeable," returned the 
Professor. 

" They have plenty of domestic animals ? " 

" Horses, horned cattle, sheep, and other animals have 
been introduced." 

" Who were the first white settlers ? " asked Eugene. 

" A large number of convicts and freedmen from New 
South Wales settled there in 1787 ; but they abandoned 
the island in 1810, and all their buildings. were destroyed." 

"At one time it was a penal colony," said Captain 
Bradford. 

" Yes, in 1825, the incorrigible offenders among the 
convicts of New South Wales were sent there, as, from 
the nature of its coast, it was thought escape would be 
well-nigh impossible. At one time more than 2,000 pris- 
oners were on the island, with a strong force to watch 
them and keep them in order, notwithstanding which 
many convicts made their escape to various South Sea 
islands, to the great detriment of their inhabitants." 

" But there are no convicts on the island now, I sup- 
pose ? " said Eugene, inquiringly. 

"No, as a penal establishment, Norfolk island was 
abandoned in 1855." 

" And then it was given up to the descendants of the 
mutineers of the Bounty" said Eugene quickly. 

" Yes, in 1857, it was given by the British government 
to the Pitcairn Islanders, 194 in number ; and though 
some have returned to their old home, by far the greater 
number remain at Norfolk Island." 

" I suppose you did not pass by New Caledonia, Pro- 
fessor ? " said Chester, in an inquiring tone. 

" No, that was the next island on which I set my foot ; 
but before reaching it I caught a glimpse of two others, 
Walpole, and Kimie or Isle des Pins." 

" The latter is quite a noted little spot," remarked 
Captain Bradford. 



ISLE OF PINES. 



" Yes, the soil is rich and the natives are restless. 
The island lies thirty miles to the southeast of New Cale- 
donia, and in fact forms a part of the same group. Cap- 
tain Cook called it Isle of Pines, in consequence of the 
vast number of araucarias with which its hills are covered. 
The strait between this island and New Caledonia proper 
is nearly all shoal water, caused by the numerous coral 
reefs." 

" You say the natives are restless. I suppose they 
belong to the same race as those of the islands about 
them, do they not ? " inquired Chester. 

" In many respects they resemble the natives of New 
Caledonia," replied the Professor. " They are not, how- 
ever, so dark, and their features are tolerably good." 

" They are miserable cannibals," growled Captain 
Watson. 

' They were, you mean," rejoined the Professor ; " and 
that too from choice, wrapping up the bodies of their 
victims in banana leaves, and then cooking them in 
ovens." 

" If they have given up the practice, I am glad of it," 
said the Captain ; " but it is not so many years since, 
when, having come into possession of a lot of fire-arms, 
they crossed over to New Caledonia and shot down as 
many of the natives as they could, and brought off their 
bodies for consumption. It is true, I suppose, that a 
constant feud raged between the two islands, but the 
sudden acquisition of fire-arms gave the people of the 
Isle of Pines a terrible advantage over their hereditary 
foes, and enabled them almost to depopulate the south- 
eastern part of the larger island." 

" But how did they come into possession of such a 
stock of fire arms ? " asked Mr. Davis. 

" Obtained them from traders, , I suppose," said the 
Captain. 



ISLE OP PINES. 527 

" Why," explained Professor Gregory, " about the year 
1840, it was found that sandal-wood grew on the island, 
and several vessels proceeded thither for the sake of pro- 
curing this valuable product. At first they did so with 
great risk, and lost many of their men from the on- 
slaughts of the natives, whom they were forced to repel 
by the use of fire-arms. Thus learning by bitter experi- 
ence the tremendous power of these arms, the first thing 
the natives did, as soon as they had become accustomed 
to trade, was to procure a large stock of them, and the 
next was to put them to the use the Captain has men- 
tioned. But after a while a Sydney merchant set up an 
establishment for the collecting and storing of sandal- 
wood and beches-de-mer, and since that time the natives 
have become quite peaceable." 

" Well, even if they are peaceable, they don't amount 
to much," said Captain Watson. " They care no more 
for dress than the New Caledonians, and that 's precious 
little. They are very fond of ornament, however, the 
men appropriating all the best decorations, and leaving 
the women to take what they can get. A funny thing is, 
the men friz their hair out as much as possible, to make 
the most of it, and wrap a thin scarf round it, to protect 
it ; sometimes, but not often, they cut it short, leaving 
only a tuft on one side of the head. The women, how- 
ever, shave off the whole of the hair, thus depriving 
themselves of their natural ornament, and rendering 
themselves perfectly hideous in a white man's eyes. The 
rough work is done by them, the men reserving to them- 
selves the noble occupations of war, which the Professor 
says they have given up, fishing, a little house-building, 
and canoe-making, the only real work which they do 
being yam-planting, after the ground has been carefully 
prepared by the women." 



528 NEW CALEDONIA. JS 

" What did you think of New Caledonia, Professor ? " 
asked Eugene. 

" I was pleased with much that I saw there, but not with 
all," was the answer. " We first came to anchor in the 
harbor of Port St. Vincent, on the southwest coast, but 
soon moved to Numea or Port de France, near the south- 
western extremity. This is quite a civilized little town ; 
perhaps too much so — after the French fashion. It 
reminds one of the poorer quarters of Paris. There are 
cafds, wine-shops, and casinos on every hand, with their 
inevitable French accompaniment, dancing-girls. Gens- 
d'armes, too, are to be met at every turn. The harbor 
is a great resort for shipping, and at all times there are 
many vessels in port. There are several public buildings, 
including a government house, a prison, and a large hotel. 
The harbor is guarded by a fort or battery, and a tele- 
graph line has been established. The situation is pictur- 
esque, but the streets are badly laid out, and the houses 
poorly built. 

" Next to Australia and New Zealand, this island is the 
largest in the South Seas, its extreme length being two 
hundred and forty miles, by an average breadth of thirty 
miles. The whole island is surrounded by dangerous 
reefs, and its surface is diversified by hills and valleys, 
with an abundance of rivers and woods. The land in 
many parts is sterile, but the natives take pains in its 
cultivation, and irrigate it with a fair degree of science." 

" Is it not thought," asked Professor Singleton, " that 
a more advanced civilization once existed on the island ? " 

" Ah, now you come to one of the things that interested 
me," exclaimed his brother Professor. " The remains of 
ancient aqueducts, paved roads, and fortifications have 
been found, some of them are wonderful, and these I 
carefully examined. My impressions in regard to them 



NEW CALEDONIA. 529 

and their builders, I shall give to tha public at an early 
day." 

" The natives are still cannibals, I have been informed," 
said Chester. 

" There is no disputing the fact," returned Professor 
Gregory. " I was told at Numea that it is impossible to 
satisfy their appetite for human flesh, which they say is a 
staple article of their food." 

" Have they acquired the habit of using liquors ? " 
"No, they use no intoxicating drinks, but consume 
great quantities of salt water." 

" How do they treat their women ? " 
" Much as do the natives of the Isle of Pines, subju- 
gate them to a lower level than their own. They force 
them to go into battle with them, and when an enemy 
falls, rush forward and obtain the body for the oven. 
Their priests are also obliged to go to war, but they sit 
at a safe distance calling on the gods for victory." 
" How do they dress ? " asked Eugene. 
" The men wear little or no dress, the women, who are 
modest and far better disposed, wear a short petticoat, 
which, with the married, is black ; with the unmarried, 
white. This petticoat consists of a kind of fringe made 
of filaments of cords, strung together on a long string 
and hanging loose, which being carried several times 
round the body, the fringe forms an effectual covering. 

" I have seen pictures of their war canoes, and should 
judge they were curious affairs," said Eugene. 

" Yes," returned the Professor, " they consist of two, 
three, or even more, single canoes lashed together, and 
a large deck laid over all, on which one or more masts 
are raised, with lateen-sails, by which the whole is pro- 
pelled, or when the wind is adverse, the crew use their 
spade-like oars, and force the craft through the waters on 
their voyage of pillage, conquest, or ceremony. Their 



530 NEW HEBRIDES. 

weapons are still clubs, spear-s, darts, and slings, though 
they are not wholly without fire-arms." 

" When did the French take possession of the island ? " 

"In September, 1853, and almost immediately estab- 
lished on it a station for their Pacific squadron, and a 
penal colony. They have had many fights with the 
natives, but hostilities ceased in 1857, when the most 
troublesome chief was captured." 

" What do the natives call the island ? " asked Eugene. 
" I know, but cannot think." 

" They call it Balade ; and that name has now been 
given to a port on the northeast side of the island." 

" The Loyalty Islands are close by ? " 

" Yes, and are claimed by France, as being part of the 
same group." 

" I suppose you went next to the New Hebrides ? " 

" I did ; and one of the first islands I visited was Erro- 
mango, where the martyr, John Williams, met his death. 
I also went to Vanikoro or Recherche Island, where 
the celebrated voyager La Perouse and his companions 
perished." 

" There are quite a number of islands in the group, are 
there not ? " asked Chester. 

"At least twenty of considerable size, and a great 
number of islets and rocks." 

" What are the most important ? " asked Mr. Davis. 

" The first in importance is Espiritu Santo, which is 
seventy miles long by about twenty-five miles broad. 
Then come Mallicollo, sixty by twenty-eight miles ; Erro- 
mango, Tauna, Ambrim, Annatom, Banks, Vat6 or Sand- 
wich, and Whitsuntide." 

" There is a very fine harbor at Mallicollo," observed 
Captain Watson. 

" Yes," assented the Professor, " Port Sandwich ; it is 
the best in the group." 



NEW HEBRPDES. 531 

" One of the islands disappeared a few years ago, I 
remember," said Professor Singleton. " There was a 
great deal of talk about it at the time." 

" That was Aurora, one of the most beautiful and fer- 
tile of the group," explained Professor Gregory. " It 
was fully thirty-six miles long, by more than five miles 
broad. It disappeared in 1871, leaving no trace what- 
ever of its existence." 

" Are there any active volcanoes ? " asked Eugene. 

" Yes, there is one in Tauna." 

" The islands are all mountainous, are they not ? " 

" Most of them, to say the least, are hilly, and there 
are a number of high mountains." 

" Are they well wooded ? " 

" With the exception of Erromango and some smaller 
islands, they are all well wooded and supplied with good 
water, and present a most luxuriant vegetation. Much 
of the timber is very valuable, sandal-wood and ebony 
being found on all or nearly all the islands." 

"■ There 's one good thing about them," exclaimed Cap- 
tain Watson, rousing himself. " They produce plenty of 
fruit and vegetables. Bananas, shaddocks, limes, cocoa- 
nuts, yams, taro, cucumbers, and a species of sweet 
potato are cultivated and can be had in abundance." 

" That sounds good," said Eugene ; " but how about 
animals ? " 

" There are but few animals," replied Professor Greg- 
ory ; " the most remarkable is a diminutive species of 
hog, the funniest thing I ever saw, and which, when full- 
grown, is not larger than a rabbit." 

" I should like to see one of the little fellows," said 
Eugene. 

" They are well worth it, I assure you," returned the 
Professor. 

" The natives are of the Papuan negro race," said 



632 



NEW HEBRIDES. 



Chester, " that I have found out from the books, and 
from Professor Smgleton here." 

" There can be no doubt of it," assented Professor Greg- 
ory. " They are 
black of skin, 
but tall and 
well-formed, 
and their dress 
in many points 
resembles the 
costume of sev- 
eral African 
tribes. That of 
the men con- 
sists of a broad 
belt or wrapper 
of matting 
worked in pat- 
terns colored 
with red, white, 
and black. The 
hair is generally 
gathered up into 
a bunch at the 
top of the head, 
stained yellow, 
and adorned 
with a plume of 
feathers. The 
lobes of the ears 
are always 
much distended, 
from the habit of wearing in them heavy ornaments cut 
from white shells, or similar materials. The septum of 
the nose is usually pierced, and the aperture filled with a 




NATIVES OF THE NEW HEBRIDES. 



NEW HEBRIDES. 533 

white stone. Raised scars are made on the arms and 
chest, and arranged in definite patterns. Armlets made 
of shells are also used by them. 

" The women are equally well-made with the men, and 
the general fashion of their dress and adornments is 
much the same. One article, however, is different and 
worthy of notice. Passing round the waist is a belt 
some seven inches wide, made of plaited fiber, woven 
into neat patterns. From this belt depends in front a 
small square apron, and behind is attached a broad strip 
of the same plaited matting as that which faces the belt. 
It descends half-way down the leg, and is finished off 
with a fan-like fringe of plaited grass, some eighteen 
inches long, and of proportionate width. The women as 
well as the men, practice the custom of making raised 
scars on their bodies. They differ from the men in the 
mode of dressing the hair, reminding one of the women 
of the Isle of Pines, as they keep it cut close to the head, 
instead of allowing it to grow to its full length and tying 
it up in a bunch. These people are less intelligent than 
the other South Sea Islanders, and are, I think, justly 
accused of cannibalism. Their habits, to my certain 
knowledge, are disgusting, their persons filthy, and their 
faces are usually smeared with turmeric and charcoal." 

" They chew the betel-nut, too, do they not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Yes, the use of the areca or betel-nut and chunam is 
quite general ?" 

" They must have had more or less intercourse with 
the Malays," suggested Professor Singleton. 

" Without a doubt," rejoined the other Professor ; " for, 
from observation, I know the language possesses a great 
similarity to that of the Malays." 

" They are not navigators, I believe ? " said Mr. Davis. 

" Nothing of the kind," exclaimed Captain Watson, 



v^ 



534 QUEEN charlotte's islands. 

quickly. "They have no canoes — don't know how to 
make them, and when they are obliged to venture on the 
water, use a sort of raft, on which they only go a few 
hundred yards from the shore." 

" When was the group discovered ? " asked Eugene. 

" In 1606, by Quiros," answered Professor Gregory ; 
" but he only saw one of the northern islands, the largest, 
which he supposed to be a portion of a continent, and 
named it Australia del Espiritu Santo. A century and 
a half later, Bougainville ascertained that this portion 
consisted of several islands, which he called the Great 
Cyclades. Cook discovered the greater part of the south- 
ern chain in 1773, and called the whole group the New 
Hebrides ; and as his discoveries much exceeded those 
previously made, this name has superseded that applied 
by Bougainville." 

" Professor," said Chester, abruptly, " I thought Yani- 
kora, where La P^rouse and his crew perished, was one 
of the Queen Charlotte's, or Santa Cruz Islands." 

" Well," returned Professor Gregory, " some geogra- 
phers make a separate group of that cluster, and, on the 
whole, it is more nearly correct to do so." 

" For my part," remarked Professor Singleton, " I 
think the Queen Charlotte's are a well-defined group by 
themselves. They are at some little distance to the north 
of the New Hebrides proper, lying between the tenth and 
twelfth degrees of south latitude, and 165° a'nd 168° of 
of east longitude. Santa Cruz is the largest of the group, 
being twenty miles long by ten wide. The natives belong 
to the Austral race of negroes. These islands were first 
discovered by Mandana in 1595, but were never again 
visited till Captain Carteret, in 1767, explored them, 
giving the group the name of his queen." 

" Did you go to the Solomon Islands, Professor ? " asked 
Chester, turning to Professor Gregory. 



SOLOMON ISLANDS. 535 

" I did not," was the answer ; " my time was so nearly 
lip that, fi^om Santa Cruz I returned to Sydney. But 
Captain Watson here has visited those islands, and others • 
to the north and northeast of Australia." 

" And what did you think of the Solomon Islands, Cap- 
tain ? " asked Chester. 

" In some respects they are well enough," was the 
reply ; " but, on the whole, I would not advise you to 
visit them." 

" Why not ; is the climate not healthful ? " 

" You might survive the climate. It was the natives I 
was thinking of." 

" Ah ! they are fierce and treacherous, I have heard." 

" So treacherous that they display a great genius for 
lulling voyagers into a fancied security, and then murder- 
ing and eating them. They have committed so many 
murders on seamen, and even captured so many vessels, 
that the greatest precautions are now taken by those who 
visit the islands." 

" But why should any one want to visit them, if they 
are obliged to run such risks ? " asked Eugene. 

"Ah, for the sake of gain man ■v\^ill take any risks; 
and the fact is that the hawk's-bill turtle, so valued as\ 
supplying the tortoise-shell of commerce, is plentiful on*: 
the coasts, and is captured by the natives, who reserve I 
the shell for barter with vessels." 

" How do the ships manage to carry on the trade ? " 

" They only approach to within a certain distance of 
the shore, where they anchor, the natives then put off in 
canoes ; but only a certain number are allowed to ap- 
proach, the hammock nettings being triced up so as to 
prevent them from boarding the vessel. Only the princi- 
pal chief is allowed to come on board, and through him 
the bargains are made. These are very tedious, as the 
natives will insist on haggling separately over each piece 



536 



SOLOMON ISLANDS. 



of tortoise-shell, instead of selling the whole lot at once, 
as is done at other places. The usual articles of mer- 
chandise are employed in the trade, such as glass bottles, 
beads, axes, cloth, knives, and similar objects." 

" The natives are not handsome, I believe," said Eugene. 

"No, indeed; they are very dark, and may even be 




A SOLOMON ISLANDER. 



called black, with thick and crispy hair. Neither do 
they add to their beauty by their modes of adornment. 
The inveterate use of the betel-nut blackens their teeth, 
and their faces are often disfigured with streaks and 
patches of white paint, which has a horribly ghastly 
appearance against the black skin. They are fond of 



SOLOMON ISLANDS. 537 

wearing numerous ornaments in their ears, the lobes of 
which are perforated, and so distended that they can 
wear in them circukxr blocks of wood nine inches in 
circumference. Their chief ornament is, however, a: 
armlet made from a large shell found on the reefs 
Shells of sufficient size for this purpose are extremelj 
rare, and are prized even more than whale's teeth among 
the Marqucsans. Wars are often caused by a struggle i 
for the possession of a single armlet ; while in compari- 
son with so valuable an article, human life is regarded 
as utterly worthless." 

. " They don't wear a great deal of clothing, I suppose ? " 
asked Mr. Davis. 

" They care very little for clothing," returned the Cap- 
tain, " their whole dress being simply a piece of matting 
tied round the waist. But they stain their hair yellow, 
white, or red, like the Fijians." 

" The negrillos are not the only race on the islands ? " 
said Professor Singleton, inquiringly. 

" No, there are more or less Malays everywhere. The 
population is very irregularly distributed, however, the 
majority of the inhabitants being in the northern part of 
the group." 

"How many islands are there?" asked Eugene. 

" Seven large, and quite a number of small ones. The 
more important are Bougainville, Choiseul, Malayta, Santa 
Isabella, New Georgia, Guadalcanar, and San Cristoval, 
the area of the whole being about 10,000 square miles. 

" Are they mountainous ? " asked Chester. 

" There are mountains of considerable height in many 
of them. The shores, however, are generally low, and 
in some places bordered with mangrove swamps." 

" Are they well watered ? " 

" Yes, there are numerous streams, and the tempera- 
ture is cooled by copious rains." 

" They must be exceedingly fertile." 



638 SOLOMON ISLANDS. 

" Few islands arc more so ; bananas, yams, sugar cane, 
and ginger arc extensively cultivated ; and the Ijread- 
fruit, cacao, and clove trees are seen on every hand." 

" Who discovered the group ? " 

" It was discovered and the islands were explored in 
1568, by Alvero -de Mendana,, the great Spanish navigator, 
who was sent out by his^ uncle Lope de Castro, viceroy 
of Peru. Being desirous of inducing his countrymen to 
visit and colonize so fertile a land, he concocted a pious 
fraud, and called the group Solomons Islands, as being 
the Ophir from which Solomon's ships brought the vast 
quantities of gold with which he adorned the Temple 
and his own wonderful palace." 

" Did his scheme work ? " asked Eugene. 

" It did not ; and for a very good reason : When he 
again went in search of the islands he could not find 
them, owing, I suppose, to the imperfect instruments he 
had used in locating them. He afterwards, as I presume 
you know, died off one of the islands of Queen Char- 
lotte's group, in 1595, while on his way to colonize them." 

" Excuse me a moment," said Captain Bradford, sud- 
denly. " There comes Tom Grayson. Something must 
be up, and Seth Cook has sent him to inform us." 

At this announcement all started to their feet, and 
Chester and Eugene hastened after the Captain, who was 
already on his way to meet the old sailor. 




CAKVED FEATHER BOX. 



CHAPTER XXYII. 

PAPUA — THE MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 

'^"TTTELL, Tom; what is it ?" asked Captain Brad^ 
V V ford, when the old salt had rolled into speak- 
ing distance. 

" The Rover is in port, sir ; and her mate, Daniel Kirby, 
is on shore." * 

" What is he doing ? Where is he ? " 

" I met him with the British consul, as I came along, 
just now. Near the consul's house they were joined by 
a third party — a spruce-rigged chap — and all went in 
together." 

" Did the mate know you ? " 

" Can't say ; think not, — but this rig, you know, 
Cap'n." 

" Ah, yes ; he would remember that. No signs of the 
sloop, I suppose ? " 

" No, sir; but if you please, sir, Mr. Cook thinks you 'd 
better come off, in case she should slip in, sudden like, 
you understand." 

" He 's right," said the Captain, turning to the broth- 
ers ; " we had better go on board at once." 

" As we may be obliged to lie quietly in the harbor the 
rest of the day, why not invite all our friends here to 
join us ? " suggested Eugene. 

" A good idea ! And it may mislead Kirby. We '11 
do it." 

" The invitation was given, and promptly accepted ; 

and half an hour later the whole party were seated under 

an ample awning on the yacht's qnarter-deck. 

22* (539) 



540 PAPUA. 

The Rover lay at a short distance on the larljoard 
quarter, but the other vessel had not made her appear- 
ance, neither had Daniel Kirby returned to the schooner. 

" Well," said Eugene, presently, -with a sigh, " I sup- 
pose we are likely to have some hours of this." Then, 
abruptly : " Captain Watson, why can't you go on with 
your story ? Tell us something about Xew Ireland, New 
Britain, and all the rest of the islands in that wonderful 
region." 

"I can do so, if it would be agreeable," said the 
Captain. 

" Of course it would ; so begin." 

" Well, Tambora, or New Ireland, as you call it, is 
separated from Birara or New Britain on the southwest 
by St. George's Channel, and from Hanover on the north- 
west by Byron's Strait. The island is perhaps a little 
more than two hundred miles long, with an average 
breadth of twenty miles. Its area, therefore, is about 
4,300 square miles." 

" There are some quite respectable mountains, are there 
not?" asked Chester. 

" Yes, the mountain range reaches an altitude of 1,500 
or 2,000 feet, with several peaks much higher, and the 
slopes are clothed from base to summit with the most 
luxuriant forests." 

" What are the highest peaks ? " asked Eugene. 

" They are called ' Mother and Daughter.' Their exact 
height I am unable to give you." 

" They have some wonderful forests, I have been in- 
formed," observed Professor Singleton. 

" Their forests are indeed wonderful. The trees grow 
to a great height, many of them being eighty, ninety, and 
even a hundred feet, perfectly straight, and often nine or 
ten feet in circumference." 

" There are some very good harbors, are there not, 
James ? " asked Captain Bradford. 



PAPUA, 



541 



" There are many good harbors, and several that are 
really excellent," was the answer. 

" Are the inhabitants inclined to be industrious ? " 
asked Mr. Davis. 

" Judging from what I saw, I should say they were. 
The lower tracts are all well cultivated, producing ba- 
nanas, cocoanuts, sugar-cane, yams, and numerous other 
plants and trees." 




PEEPARING DINNER. 

"The inhabitants belong to the same race as their 
neighbors, I suppose ? " said Chester, inquiringly. 

" Yes, and I am glad to say their villages are very 
neat, and everything about them has a thrifty look. Of 
course, the women do much of their work in the open 
air, and I have been greatly interested in watching the 
young girls while they were preparing their meals in the 
shade of a spreading tree or under the canvas procured 
from some trading vessel." 



642 PAPUA. 

" What do the islanders trade in mostly ?" 

" Fancy woods and tortoise-shell ; the latter of a very 
superior quality." 

" They have some animals, I suppose ? " 

" Very few besides dogs, pigs, and turtles." 

" What is the number of the inhabitants ? " 

" Not far from twelve thousand." 

" It 's only a step to New Britain from New Ireland by 
the nearest way," suggested Eugene. 

" St. George's channel is about twenty-five miles wide," 
returned the Captain. 

" Then how wide is Dampier Strait, which separates 
New Britain from Papua ? " 

" About fifty miles wide," was the answer. 

" New Britain is quite a large island, is it not ? " asked 
Mr. Davis. 

" Birara or New Britain contains an area of about 
10,000 square miles," answered the Captain. " There 
are several islands belonging to the group. The extreme 
length of the largo island is three hundred miles, and its 
breadth is from five to fifty miles. It is of crescent 
shape, and has several fine bays and harbors. At Spa- 
cious Bay, I am inclined to think, there is a channel 
extending across the island. In the interioi: there are 
many high mountains, and in the north several active 
volcanoes." 

" Is the island as productive as New Ireland ? " asked 
Chester. 

" It could be made so," replied the Captain. " Much 
of the surface is covered with dense forests, and border- 
ing the coast are extensive fertile plains. The principal 
productions at present are palms, bread-fruit, sugar-cane, 
pigs, turtles, and fish. The inhabitants are a tribe of 
negritos, well-made, and very dark, but not at all bad- 
looking." 



PAPUA. 548 

" There are two or three groups in these waters," said 
Eugene, " that I wish to ask a word about. The Loiiisi- 
ade Archipelago, Dampier's group, and the Admiralty 
Islands." 

" The first," returned the Captain, " are just off the 
extreme southeastern point of Papua. The Dampier's 
group are midway between Papua and the Admiralty 
Islands, and these last are a little northwest of New Ire- 
land and north of Papua. They consist of one large 
island, Admiralty or Basco, in the center of the group, 
which is nearly sixty miles long ; another called Matthias, 
containing more than one hundred and seventeen square 
miles, situated one hundred and fifty miles to the north- 
east, and some twenty-five or thirty much smaller ones. 
Basco is mountainous, and can boast of many lofty peaks, 
but generally the islands are low and fertile, abounding 
in cocoanut and other palms." 

" When were the islands discovered ? " asked Eugene. 

" In 1616, by Cornelius Schooten," answered the 
Captain. 

" Ah ! that 's why they are sometimes called Schooten's 
Islands," exclaimed Chester. 

" Exactly," assented the Captain ; " and they received 
their present name from Carteret, who rediscovered them 
in 176T." 

" They are not often visited, I think," said Mr. Davis. 

" Yery seldom," returned the Captain, " access being 
difficult on account of the coral reefs which surround 
them." 

" I wish I had been with you on some of your voyages," 
exclaimed Eugene, suddenly. " Pray, what took you to 
Papua, Captain ? " 

" I have been to that island more than once," was the 
reply. " My purpose in going there the first time was 
to land two passengers — a missionary and a naturalist. 



544 PAPUA. 

The next time I was on a trading voyage, and brought 
away nutmegs, tortoise-shell, a few birds of paradise, 
and even trepang or heche-de-mer, which I sold to the 
Chinese." 

" Did you see much of the island while you were there ?" 

" Much of it ! " exclaimed the Captain. " That 's hard- 
ly likely. Why, my young friend, it 's the largest island 
in the world, with the exception of Australia and possi- 
bly Borneo." 

" I did n't think of that. About how large is it ? " 

" Its extreme length is 1,500 miles, and its maximum 
breadth 400 miles. Its area is estimated at nearly, if 
not quite, 300,000 square miles." 

" The island, I suppose, is very little known to civil- 
ized man ? " said Chester. 

" It is less known than any other region of equal 
extent on the earth," rejoined the Captain. " Until re- 
cently no European had ever been able to advance more 
than a short distance into the interior, and even the 
principal features of the coast had not been accurately 
determined. I shall not undertake to describe its shape, 
but be assured of one thing, if j^ou have not seen a map 
made since Captain Moresby's late survey, you have never 
seen anything like a correct representation of its outlines." 

" The Dutch hold possession of a large portion of the 
island, do they not?" asked. Mr. Davis. 

" They claim all that part lying west of the 141st 
parallel of east longitude," answered his friend. 

" Is the country mountainous ? " inquired Eugene. 
" Some authorities say that it is, and others that it is 
not." 

" I don't see how there can be any question about it," 
returned the Captain. " Mountains are visible in the 
interior, from all parts of the coast. The principal 
chains are the Arfak range in the northeast peninsula ; 



PAPUA. 



545 



the Snowy Moun- 
tains, east of 
Geelvink Bay; 
and the Stanley 
range, in the 
southeast penin- 
sula." 

"There must 
be some fine riv- 
ers then, I should 
judge." 

"As to that I 
am not well in- 
formed. So far as 
I know, few have 
been discovered ; 
but taking into 
consideration the 
great height of 
the Papuan moun- 
tains — some of 
the ranges reach- 
ing an altitude of 
13,000 feet — and 
remembering 
their distance 
from the coast, it 
is natural to infer 
that there are 
many large 
streams in the 
country." 

"There must 
be some wonder- 
ful forest trees." 

"Forests cover 




A PALM TREE. 



546 PAPUA. 

a large portion of the island, and are of the most trop- 
ical character. The palm flourishes in great perfection, 
and there is much valualjle timber growing to a great 
size. I saw any number of trees from tAvo hundred to 
two hundred and fifty feet in height." 

" It is not a healthy country," observed Mr. Morgan, 
who had joined the group. 

" No," returned Captain "Watson, " the climate of Pa- 
pua is warm and moist. During the wet season the rains 
on the coast are exceedingly heavy, and hence, malarial 
fevers are prevalent." 

" I think I would be willing to run the risk of the 
fever for the sake of seeing the beautiful birds," said 
Eugene. 

" Ah," exclaimed the Captain, " the birds are indeed 
beautiful — wonderfully so, and very numerous. There 
are no less than a dozen species of birds of paradise, of 
which eight are not found elsewhere, except inthe closely 
contiguous island of Salawaty. There are no less than 
thirty species of parrots, among them the largest and 
smallest parrots known to ornithologists ; some forty 
species of pigeons, including the beautiful crowned pig- 
eons ; and sixteen species of king-fishers. The casso- 
wary is also met with, and there are many other beautiful 
and curious forms among the one hundred and eight 
known genera of Papuan land birds." 

" I had no idea there were so many species of the birds 
of paradise," observed Mrs. Davis. 

" In Papua and the Molucca Islands there are not less 
than eighteen species," said Professor Gregory. "These 
beautiful birds have aptly been designated 'the children 
of the sun.' Their plumage is so flocculent and downy 
that they are incapable of flying otherwise than against 
the wind, for were they to fly witJi the wind, their plu- 
mage would become so disordered that they would be 



PAPtJA. 547 

unable to control their movements. The golden bird of 
paradise is remarkable for having long slender feathers, 
ending in a small oval vane on either side of the head. 
The Incomparable is distinguished by a tail three times 
longer than the body, and by the most magnificent plu- 
mage. The habits of these beautiful creatures are not 
perfectly known ; they live in troops in the vast forests 
of the islands they inhabit. Their colors are much more 
brilliant when living than when dead, therefore, only a 
very poor idea of them can be formed from stuffed and 
mounted specimens. M. Lenon, having visited Papua, 
and seen one of them on the wing, thus describes his 
emotions : ' Scarcely had I walked a hundred paces into 
these ancient forests, the daughters of Time, whose 
somber depth was, perhaps, the most magnificent and 
stately sight I had ever seen, when a bird of paradise 
struck on my view. It flew gracefully and in undula- 
tions ; the feathers of its sides formed an elegant and 
aerial plume, which, without exaggeration, bore no little 
resemblance to a brilliant meteor. Surprised, astounded, 
enjoying an inexpressible gratification, I devoured this 
splendid bird with my eyes ; but my emotion was so great 
that I forgot to shoot at it, and did not recollect that I 
had a gun in my hand till it was far away.' " 

" I suppose it is only the male birds that can boast of 
the brilliant colors and remarkable plumage ? " said Ches- 
ter, interrogatively. 

" You are quite right," replied the Professor, " the 
females throughout are very plain looking personages." 

" They have no song ? " 

" No ; and although yon would hardly think it, they 
are allied in structure and habits to crows and starlings." 

" Did you ever read Wallace's description of their danc- 
ing parties ? " asked Professor Singleton, with a smile. 

" I never did, and I should like very much to hear what 



548 PAPUA. 

lie says about them," exclaimed Mrs. Davis, somewhat 
eagerly. 

" Perhaps I camiot recall his exact words," rejoined 
the Professor, " but the birds molt in January and Febru 
ary ; and are in full plumage in May. At this time, he 
says, the males of the great bird of paradise (^Paradisea 
apodct) assemble early in the morning to exhibit them- 
selves in a singular manner, which the natives call their 
' Sdccleli,' or dancing-parties. The ball-room is a huge 
tree, whose wide branches afford them abundant space 
for display. On one of these trees a score of males will 
assemble, raise their wings, and keep them in constant 
vibration ; flying now and then from branch to branch, 
so that the whole tree is alive with their waving plumes. 
When at the utmost point of excitement, the wings are 
raised over the head, the plumes expanded until they 
form two magnificent fans, overshadowing the whole 
body, while the yellow head and green throat form a 
foundation and support for the golden glory which Avaves 
above. When seen in this attitude the bird of paradise 
really deserves its name, and must be ranked as one of 
the most beautiful of living things. 

" ' This habit enables the natives to obtain specimens 
with more ease,' says Dr. Hartwig. ' As soon as they 
find that the birds have fixed upon a tree on which to 
assemble, they build a little shelter of palm-leaves in a 
convenient place among the branches, and the hunter 
ensconces himself in it before daylight, armed with his 
bow and a number of arrows terminating in a round 
knob. A boy waits at the foot of the tree, and when the 
birds come at sunrise, and a sufficient number have 
assembled, and have begun to dance, the hunter shools 
with his blunt arrow so strongly as to stun the bird, 
which drops down and is secured without its plumage 
being injured by a drop of blood. The rest take no 



PAPUA. 549 

notice, and fall one after another till at last some of 
them take the alarm. 

" ' Another species, the red bird of paradise, found 
in some parts of Papua, is caught in a very ingenious 
manner : There is a large tree bearing a red fruit, of 
which these birds are very fond. The hunters fasten 
this fruit on a stout forked stick, and provide themselves 
with a fine strong cord. They then find out some tree 
in the forest upon which these birds are accustomed to 
perch ; and climbing up it, fasten the stick to a branch, 
and arrange the cord in a noose so ingeniously that when 
the bird comes to eat, its legs are caught ; and by pulling 
the end of the cord, which hangs to the ground, it comes 
down free from the branch, and brings down the bird. 
Sometimes when this favorite food is abundant elsewhere, 
the hunter sits from morning to night under his tree, 
and often for two or three whole days in succession, 
without getting even a bite ; while at other times, if very 
lucky, he may get two or three birds a day.' " 

" About how many inhabitants are there on the island ?" 
inquired Mr. Davis. 

" There is no means of forming any trustworthy esti- 
mate, that I am aware of," replied Professor Gregory. 

" It is the true home of the typical Papuan race," 
observed Professor Singleton. 

" Yes," assented Captain Watson, " and I noticed with 
interest that they have a facial expression not unlike that 
of Europeans." 

" It is an unmixed race, is it not ? " asked Chester. 

" According to the best authorities, no other indigenous 
race exists on the island," said the Captain. 

" Are the natives at all industrious ? " asked Mr. Davis. 

" Captain Moresby, who visited the southeast peninsula 
in 1873, says that the country, although very rugged and 
mountainous, is intersected by fertile valleys, which are 



550 



PAPUA. 



well cultivated by the natives, who there excel as agricul- 
turists. Their villages in this region he describes as 
singularly neat, in which respect they contrast favorably 
with those in the northwest part of the island near 
Dorey, where the houses are built on poles fifteen feet 
above the ground. 

" Taken as a race, they are very fine examples of sav- 
age humanity, tall, well-shaped, and powerful. They m'e 
remarkable for two physical peculiarities. The one is a 

roughness of the 
skin, and the other 
is the growth of the 
hair. The hair 
grows in regular 
tufts or patches, 
each about the size 
of a pea, and attains 
to a considerable 
length, sometimes 
measuring eighteen 
inches from root to 
tip. The Papuans 
are very proud of 
this natural orna- 
ment, and therefore 
will seldom cut it 
off ; but as, if left 
untrained, it would 
fall over the eyes, 
they have various modes of dressing it, generally, how- 
ever, they make it stand out at right-angles from the 
head ; and, as the hair is very coarse, crisp, and stiff, it 
assumes a mop-like shape, and increases the apparent size 
of the head to an enormous extent." 

" That 's where they and their island get their name," 




NATIVE PAPUAN. 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. • 551 

explained Professor Singleton ; " the word Papua is de- 
rived from this peculiarity of the hair. In the Malay 
language, the word which signifies ' crisped ' is puapua, 
which, of course, is easily contracted into pa-pua.''^ 

" No doubt, Captain, you have visited the Molucca 
Islands, on some of your many voyages?" said Chester, 
interrogatively. 

" Of course, one could hardly sail those seas without 
touching at the Spice Islands occasionally." 

"Do tell us about them, Captain," exclaimed Mrs. 
Davis, eagerly ; " for there has always been something 
fascinating in the very name to me." 

" Well, the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, as I like better 
to call them, are a group in the Indian Ocean, constitu- 
ting a part of the Indian Archipelago, and lie between 
the latitude of 5° north and 9° south, and between the 
longitudes of 122° and 131° east, and distributed over 
the sea from the east coast of the island of Celebes to 
the western point of Papua. 

" Though the number of the Moluccas is estimated at 
several hundreds, only a few are of any remarkable mag- 
nitude or particular importance. The large islands are 
Ceram, Gilolo, and Booro. This part of the archipelago 
is naturally divided into three clusters, namely, the Mo- 
luccas proper or Gilolo group, the Ceram group, and the 
Timor Lant group. The first includes Gilolo, Morty, 
Mandioly, Batchian, Oby, Makian, Motir, Tidore, Ternate, 
and many other islands. The Ceram cluster, which lies 
in the center of the group, contains, among others, Ce- 
ram, Booro, Amboyna, and Banda. The third cluster 
lies further south, between Australia and the west of 
Papua, Timor Lant being the principal island, and the 
Kei Isles and Arrus helping to make up the group. 

" Nearly all the Moluccas are mountainous, the peaks 
of their ridges reaching to an altitude of from 7,000 to 



552 JIOLUCQA ISLANDS. ^H 

8,000 feet, the base on which they rest being nearly all 
volcanic. Though the surface is broken and extremely 
rugged, the islands, taken generally, are particularly 
fertile. The coast is defended by coral reefs, and each 
island has one or more secure and often commodious 
harbors or basins for shipping. Though the greater 
number lie nearly under the equator, yet, from the length 
of the monsoons and the smallness of terrestrial surface, 
the heat is by no means so great or oppressive as it would 
be were the surface larger or the trade winds less fre- 
quent. The vegetable products are the same as those of 
Java, with the exception of rice, all of which is imported, 
the natives living chiefly on the products of the sago- 
palm. Oranges, lemons, and most other fruits are abun- 
dant. The staple of the islands, however, are the spices, 
especially cloves, mace, and nutmegs. Edible bird's nests, 
shark-fins, and sea-cucumbers or trepang, form a large 
branch of the native trade with China, as well as a small 
amount of gold, and birds of paradise. Fish are abun- 
dant in all the waters, and on the land a species of deer 
and wild hogs abound. Serpents of a dangerous charac- 
ter infest the islands, as does a ravenous variety of the 
alligator. The inhabitants are composed chiefly of two 
races, the Malays, who here, as everywhere else, monopo- 
lize the sea-board, and the Papuans, who occupy the 
mountains and interior ; and though a few of them are 
Mahommedans, the great bulk of the people are idolaters. 
The Moluccan Malays are generally industrious; they 
cultivate the soil or gain a subsistence by fishing. They 
are very expert in the construction and management of 
their vessels, and are greatly addicted to piracy." 

" Yes, I suppose they are addicted to piracy," observed 
Eugene ; " but I must say I am beginning to feel some 
respect for the Malays. They seem to me to be a bold, 
pushing, and thoroughly energetic race." 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 553 

" They are one of the most civilized and aggressive na- 
tions of their part of the world," returned the Captain. 
" They are, as you say, a bold, roving, and energetic race 
of people, strongly addicted to war, plunder, emigration, 
adventure, and gallantry. Their residences, whether on 
the Malayan peninsula or the larger islands, are always 
on the coast, driving the natives, who look on them with 
dread, wherever they colonize, from the sea-board, and in 
a measure shutting them up in the center of the land, 
while in the smaller isles they have exterminated the 
original possessors. In the north of their own peninsula, 
they are mixed with the Siamese, and in other places 
where the natives are more numerous and resolute, with 
the Burmese and Celebes. Physically considered, the 
Malays are rather below the ordinary stature, well- 
formed, but slight, and with remarkably small wrists 
and ankles ; the face round, mouth large, teeth fine, jaw 
square, and prominent cheek bones. The nose is short 
and small, but never flat; the eyes black, hair long, 
harsh, and shiny, and of a deep black, and the complex- 
ion tawny. They practice agriculture, have some knowl- 
edge of the mechanical arts, and a limited acquaintance 
with medicine. They are the greatest boasters of all the 
Asiatic natives, talk incessantly of their truth and honor, 
and yet, Mr. Eugene, I am sorry to say, in all the pur- 
poses of life they are the most false, ferocious, and 
treacherous people alive; while the soft and musical 
language in which they express their ideas — in these 
respects the most pleasing imaginable — makes their 
treachery seem more hateful from the gentle tones in 
which their murderous projects are clothed." 

" But they are kind husbands and indulgent fathers, 
are they not ? " asked Chester. 

" Generally, I think, they are considerate toward their 



654 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 



wives, and regard their children with affection. On the 
whole, the little ones are a happy race of mortals." 

"But, judging from what you say, I apprehend the 
Malays are not a very devout race," observed Mr. Davis. 



} 



■\\''' ' ii if* ftf''_;r 




!,0,ill'lll ifJSMi,^ 



" No, their religion, though a mixture of Mahommed- 
anism of the Soonnee sect, is the most tolerant and lib- 
eral of all the creeds and opinions of Asia. These 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS, 



555 



people never forgive an affront, but sooner or later take 
a cruel revenge. They live by plunder, and, as I have 
already said, are naturally pirates, darting out from tlieir 
back streams and bidden rivers in their strongly manned 
'proah8 upon any vessel that approaches too near their 
coast, or in fleets lyipg in wait on the open sea, for any 
rich prize on her homeward or outward voyage." 








■St 

lU 

i 1 



s ) 



«:« ■ 




MALAY WOMAN AND CHILD. 



" When were the Moluccas discovered ? " asked Eugene. 

" They were discovered in 1511," answered the Cap- 
tain, " by the Portuguese, who, after holding them for 
nearly a century, were expelled in 1607 by the Dutch. 
Ten years later, the English obtained a right to trade 
with the islands, which the Dutch ultimately allowed to 

the extent of a third of the produce, each country con- 
23 



656 MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 

tributing a contingent to the defense and military gov- 
ernment of tlie islands. The Dutch, however, jealous of 
their English rivals, determined to get rid of them, and, 
to this end, in the year 1622, they resolved to accuse 
them of a conspiracy with the Amboynese, to seize one 
of their forts. They managed to get a Japanese and 
a Portuguese, who were in the English service, into their 
power, and secretly put them to torture until they had 
' confessed ' whatever was wanted of them. Then, under 
the semblance of the purest friendship and neighborly 
hospitality, they invited the governor, officers, men, wo- 
men, and children — in fact, the entire community of the 
English factory, to the Dutch settlement, on the plea of 
celebrating some national event, in which both nations 
were supposed to feel an interest ; when, in the midst of 
confidence and rejoicing, and following on a small scale 
the example of Ethelred's massacre of the Danes, the 
Dutch suddenly fell upon the unsuspecting English, and 
brutally murdered a great number, and made prisoners 
of all who escaped the first savage onslaught. Had they 
completed their savage deed at once, and put old and 
young, women and children, to the sword upon the spot, 
horrible and revolting as the act would have been for a 
civilized people to perpetrate on men of their own faith, 
it would have been mild compared with the atrocities 
which marked the sequel of this fearful tragedy ; for, 
with a malignity of feeling and a refinement of cruelty 
only worthy of the worst days of the Vehmic, the pris- 
oners, loaded with chains, were thrown into cells and 
dungeons, where, from the heat and dearth of water, 
they suffered dreadful torments, being brought forth 
singly to endure all the agony that racks, pincers, and 
other implements of torture could inflict on their naked 
flesh. In this manner, with every conceivable suffering, 
the Dutch floated over the total extermination of their 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 557 

rivals; the women being subjected to double torture, 
their dying moments agonized by the sight of their 
butchered children, for these Christian savages left not 
one of that unhappy colony alive to tell the tale of mur- 
der, and it was by strangers and natives the world heard 
of this outrage on England's honor." 

" Well," said Eugene, thoughtfully, " I knew the Dutch 
would do most anything for the sake of wealth and 
power, but I did n't suppose they were quite so bad as 
that." 

" They have been guilty, I find, of several just such 
acts of heartless cruelty," returned the Captain. 

" Amboyna, where this fearful tragedy occurred, is 
really the island of the Moluccas, is it not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Though small as respects geographical extent, pre- 
senting a superficial surface of but two hundred and 
fiighty square miles," returned the Captain, with enthu- 
siasm, " Amboyna is the most valuable and productive of 
all the islands in this region of spice and perfume ; for 
the cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and all the pepper bushes 
that yield the various sorts of this condiment, grow here 
in profusion, while, in addition, the sago tree is native to 
the soil, and flourishes with cotton, indigo, and all the 
luscious fruits common to tropical climes. Indeed, so 
valuable is the island, and so high a value do the Dutch 
put upon it, that its possession is regarded with more 
consideration than any other colony belonging to their 
crown ; and so great has been their jealousy of being sole 
masters of this settlement, that, as you already know, 
they have stopped short of no treachery or blood that 
would insure them its sovereignty. When they had 
firmly established themselves in the Moluccas, they en- 
deavored to get the exclusive trade of spices into their 
own hands ; an advantage which the nations they had 



558 MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 

expelled were never able to procure. They ski'ilfully 
availed themselves of the forts they had taken, and those 
they had erected, to draw the kings of Ternate and 
Tydor, who had considerable authority in the archipelago, 
into their scheme. These petty kings, for a small sum, 
— a little more than $15,000 — agreed to root out all the 
clove and nutmeg trees in islands under their dominions ; 
and a garrison of seven hundred men was appointed to 
secure the performance of the treaty. At Amboyna they 
concentrated the cultivation of cloves. They allotted to 
the inhabitants four thousand parcels of land, on each of 
which they were compelled to plant one hundred and 
twenty-five trees, amounting, in all, to five hundred thou- 
sand ; and the collective produce averages more than 
1,000,000 pounds. To keep up prices in foreign markets 
they frequently burned whole cargoes of spices." 

" I am beginning to like the Dutch less and less, I 
think," muttered Eugene. "Burn whole cargoes of 
spices, indeed ! The selfish, mutton-headed fellows ! " 

" I don't wonder you are indignant," smiled Mrs. 
Davis ; " I am, myself." 

" Yes," said her husband, carelessly, " she is very fond 
of spices." 

" It is froin the Banda Islands we get our best nut- 
megs, is it not. Captain ?" asked Chester. 

" Yes," was the reply, " there are twelve of them, all 
small. Two of them are uncultivated and almost unin- 
habited, and three others claim the distinction of pro- 
ducing the best nutmegs in the world. Excepting this 
valuable spice, the Banda Isles are fearfully barren. The 
land will not produce any kind of grain, and the sago 
serves the natives of the country instead of bread. The 
land is mostly owned by Europeans. The Dutch, finding ' 
that the natives were savage, cruel, and treacherous, 
because they were impatient under their yoke, resolved 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. ' 569 

to exterminate them, and did so. Their possessions were 
then divided among the A^diite settlers, who procured 
slaves from some of the neighboring islands to cultivate 
the lands. The climate of the Bandas is particularly 
unhealthy, for which reason the Dutch attempted to 
transfer the culture of the nutmeg to Amboyna, but their 
experiments were not successful in giving them as good 
a spice there." ■ 

" Timor is not classed as one of the Moluccas, I sup- 
pose ? " said Mr. Davis, interrogatively. 

"No," answered Captain Watson, "it belongs to the 
Indian archipelago." 

" It is quite a large island." 

" About three hundred miles long and fifty miles wide, 
with 200,000 population." 

" Does it also belong to the Dutch ?" 

" The natives on the western and southern coasts 
acknowledge the supremacy of the Dutch, who have their 
principal settlement at Kupang, or Coepang, as it is 
sometimes called." 

" The Portuguese are also established on the island," 
observed Chester. 

"Yes," assented the Captain, " at Dilli ; and the natives 
of the eastern and northern parts pay tribute to them." 

" Is it a rich island ? " asked Eugene. 

" Fairly so," was the reply. " A considerable trade is 
carried on, principally from Kupang, and is chiefly in the 
hands of the Chinese," 

" "What have you to say of the people ? " asked Mr. 
Davis. 

" They are of low stature, with very dark complexions 
and bushy hair, and resemble the Papuans. The women 
weave cloth, while the only work the men do is to con- 
struct canoes and make ornaments for their horses." 



5G0 MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 

'' Celebes is wholly under the control of the Dutch, if I 
am not mistaken ? " said Chester, in an inquiring tone. 

" Yes ; and it also belongs to the Indian Archipelago," 
replied the Captain. 

" It has a very remarkable outline," observed Professor 
Singleton. 

" True," assented the Captain ; " and after a glance at 
it, you don't wonder it has 2,600 miles of sea-coast." 

" What ! " exclaimed Eugene ; " 2,600 miles ? How 
large is the island, pray?" 

" The Dutch say about twice the size of Ireland ; but I 
am inclined to think, with Wallace, that they make it out 
larger than it really is." 

" What is the population ? " 

" It is estimated all the way from one to three millions." 

" There is no want of birds, beasts, and reptiles on the 
island," remarked Mr. Morgan. 

" You are quite right, Jasper ; and some of them are 
interesting specimens, as, for instance, the sapi-utan or 
wild cow of the Malays, a black, baboon-like monkey, the 
Malay civet, an ox-like antelope, and the python." 

" They must have magnificent forests," said Mr. Davis, 
musingly. 

" The uncultivated portions of Celebes are covered 
with forests, abounding in the luxurious vegetation of an 
equatorial climate. Besides tree-ferns, pandani, the wild 
jack-fruit, and hundreds of others, there are a dozen or 
more varieties of the palm, including the cocoanut, the 
betelnut, the sago, and the sugar palm. There are more 
fruits than I can begin to name, including bananas, 
breadfruits, pineapples, and durians." 

" They raise vast quantities of rice and coffee," ob- 
served Mr. Morgan. 

" Yes," assented Captain Gregory ; " rice and coffee 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 



561 



are the most important agricultural productions. Cacp.0, 
cotton, maize, and tobacco are also raised." 




"Do you know the amount of coffee the island pro- 
duces ? " asked Captain Bradford. 



562 MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 

" The annual yield of the Dutch Government coffee 
plantations on tlic tablelands of Minahasa is about 
5,000,000 pounds. The coffee raised here is superior 
to any from Java, and commands a higher price." 

" Gold is found on the island, I have been informed," 
said Mr. Davis. 

" Yes," assented the Captain ; " gold is found in 
considerable quantities, and not only throughout the 
whole northern peninsula, but also near the southern 
extremity." 

" The natives have kings of their own, I have seen it 
stated," observed Chester. 

" Yes," returned the Captain ; " but these kings are 
dependent upon the Dutch government." 

" They are all Malays, I suppose ? " asked Eugene. 

" Yes ; all belong to the Malay race. The Bughis 
constitute the most numerous and active portion of the 
population. They are sailors and traders. The sailors 
are wild and ferocious in appearance, but really of quiet 
and peaceable disposition. The natives in the north- 
ern part of the island, while they are known to be 
Malays, have been classed as savage, though of late they 
have made some advancement. They are short in stature, 
of light-brown complexion, with high, projecting cheek- 
bones, and have long, straight, black hair. Until quite 
recently, they devoted much of their time to head- 
hunting, like the Dyaks of Borneo, and thc}^ are said to 
be as fierce in battle as the ]\Ianyuemas, whose very 
women fight in the ranks with their husbands ; still they 
make good servants, and are not slow to ado];)t the 
manners and habits of civilized life. The Mandhars, 
of whom I can tell you very little, dwell in the most 
western part of the island, north of Macassar." 

" Celebes can boast of several quite important seaports, 
I believe ?" said Mr. Davis, in an inquiring tone. 



1 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 



565 



" Yes," assented the Captain ; " and the most impor-, 
tant are Menado, Kema, and Macassar or Vlaardingen, 
all of which carry on a considerable trade with China 
and other parts of the world." 

" Of course," observed Eugene, " the natives do not 
call the island Celebes." 

" No," returned the Captain ; " the name is hardly 
known to them. They call it Negri Bughis, or Bughis 
Land." 




MANYUEMA WARRIORS. 



" As we have so far touched upon the Malay or Indian 
Archipelago proper, as to speak of Celebes and Tamor," 
said Chester, " I wish. Captain, you would give us some 
information about the other islands, particularly those 
which were formerly designated as the Sundas." 

" I could n't begin to give you an account of each one," 
33* 



566 



MOLUCCA ISLADDS. 



replied the Captain; "they are very numerous, and all 
are interesting." 




MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 567 

"Well, tell us about some of them, then," m-ged 
Eugene. 

" Between Timor and Java," said the Captain, acqui- 
escing, " there are several rich and exceedingly beautiful 
islands, the most important of which are Sumba, Flores, 
Sumdawa, Lomblen, Lombok, and Baly. They are all 
under the control of the Dutch, unless Flores be 
excepted, and are inhabited by the Malay race, who 
greatly resemble the people of Celebes. They usually 
live in villages, on or near the coast, the streets of which, 
during the day, present a succession of animated and 
curious scenes." 

" You mentioned Java," said Chester. " I suppose 
that island is really the most important colonial posses- 
sion of the Dutch in the East Indies." 

" Yes," assented the Captain, emphatically ; " and it is 
the most fertile and prosperous tropical island in the 
world." 

" How large is it ? " asked Eugene. 

" It is 666 miles long, by a breadth varying from 56 to 
1351 miles, and including the island of Madura, contains 
51,336 square miles." 

"It is densely populated," remarked Professor Gregory. 

" Java is one of the most densely peopled countries of 
the world," affirmed the Captain. " Its population 
exceeds 18,000,000, of which more than 30,000 are 
Europeans." 

" It must indeed be a wonderful soil to support so 
many," exclaimed Professor Singleton. 

" The soil of Java is very deep and rich," said the 
Captain ; " and as I have already said, the whole island 
is far above the general average of fertility. A lofty 
range of mountains thickly set with volcanoes, varying 
from a height of 5,000 to an altitude of 12,000 feet, 
intersects the enilre length of the island; while numer- 



568 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 



ous ranges of inferior elevation, and short, hilly chains, 
traverse the country in all directions. Many of these 




mountain-ranges, however, possess broad plains and 
fertile valleys. There are several small and beautiful 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 569 

lakes among the mountains, and some extensive marshes, 
which in the rainy season become lakes and are navi- 
gated. The rivers are very numerous, but generally 
running from the central range to the ocean on either 
shore, are short and of little importance." 

"Is the island as well supplied with timber as 
Celebes?" asked Mr. Davis. 

" Java," returned the Captain, " contains several dense 
forests, which, at certain points in the vicinity of the 
rivers, extend into swampy lands, and remind one very 
much of the forests on the Amazon." 

" The country is subject to earthquakes, is it not ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Yes, as the mountains are nearly all of a volcanic 
origin, earthquakes and thunder-storms are frequent, and 
the former often fearfully destructive." 

" What are some of the products ? " asked Eugene. 

" It's well you put the question in that form," laughed 
Captain Watson, " for their name is legion. Among 
them are rice, maize, millet, wheat, sugar, coffee, tea, 
cotton, tobacco, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, cardamons, 
betel, cocoanut, areca-palm, indigo, cochineal, a great 
variety of dye-stuffs, and nearly all forms of tropical 
fruits and esculent plants." 

" But few minerals are obtained, I think," observed 
Mr. Davis. 

" You are right," assented the Captain ; " still, a large 
supply of iron, sulphur, salt, and saltpeter are procured." 

" I see they export a large quantity of oil," said 
Chester. 

" Yes ; many of the trees yield a copious supply." 

" And they are well furnished with domestic animals," 
remarked Eugene. 

" Very true ; black cattle, goats, buffaloes, and horses 
are numerous, and of their several breeds, excellent. 



570 MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 

Then, too, the seas and rivers yield a])undance of fish, 
and domestic fowls are reared in great numbers." 

" With such natural resources, and almost unbounded 
means of commerce and subsistence," remarked Professor 
Gregory, " it is a subject of little wonder to me that the 
Dutch should early have seen the advantages of the 
island, and have made themselves masters of a spot so 
prolific and rich in all the items of comfort, luxury, and 
trade." 

" Yes," said the Captain ; " and having made them- 
selves masters of it, they at once proceeded to make the 
most of it ; hence Java soon became, and has to the 
present day continued, the great center of the Dutch 
East India trade." 

" I have heard much said against the climate, in the 
past," observed Mr. Davis ; " but I am inclined to think 
it is not so very bad after all." 

" At the height of some 4,000 feet in the mountain 
valleys," returned the Captain, " there is a delightful 
climate, healthful to the European constitution, and 
favorable to the growth of northern fruits and vegetables. 
The general climate of the island is better than that of 
most tropical countries ; and in places where malaria 
formerly prevailed, as in Batavia, the evil has been 
clearly traced to the neglect of w^ater-courses, and has 
been remedied." 

" I suppose the chief variety in the vegetation is caused 
by difference of elevation," said Eugene. 

" Yes ; for instance, on the low coast are found cocoa- 
nut-palms and bananas. Higher up are ferns and mag- 
nificent forests. At a greater height are forests of fig 
trees. Above these are oaks and laurels, and at a height 
of 6,000 feet the tropical character of the vegetation 
disappears, and is succeeded by heaths, conifers, and a 
vegetation closely allied to that of the temperate zone." 




HOUSE AT BATAVIA. 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 5T3" 

" Do the Dutch have full possession of the island ? " 
asked Eugene. 

" In one sense they do not," was the answer ; " for 
two native princes, the susuTiiL7iam or emperor, and the 
sultan, rule over small portions. But these, though 
nominally independent sovereigns, are in reality merely 
tributaries to the Dutch. 

" The Dutch settlements," the Captain continued, " are 
divided into seventeen provinces, the most important of 
which are situated on the northern shore of the island, 
to all of which Batavia is the capital." 

" Ah ! that, I suppose, is quite a fine city, as well as 
an important one," sugges^ted Mr. Davis. 

" Well," rejoined the Captain, " its roadstead, which 
lies between the mainland and some small, uninhabited 
islands, affords both good anchorage and shelter ; and, 
though vessels of any considerable size seldom anchor 
nearer shore than about one and a half miles distance, a 
river, which runs through the town, admits of small craft 
of from twenty to forty tons running a couple of miles or 
so inland. Batavia, as has been intimated, used to be 
notorious for its insalubrity ; but the new town, built on 
high ground above the swampy level of the old, in a 
large measure remedied the evil so far as the govern- 
ment officials and wealthy merchants were concerned ; 
while latterly, owing to the intelligent exertions of the 
Baron Capellen, who caused some of the canals which 
permeated the town, Dutch fashion, to be filled up, others 
to be cleansed, streets to be widened, and other sanitary 
measures adopted, the old part has been rendered as 
healthy as any town on the island. Nevertheless, the 
wealthy classes continue to live in .the new town, where 
there are many delightful residences, while the old is 
inhabited by Chinese emigrants and descendants of the 
original colonists. The population, exclusive of the gar- 



574 MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 

risoii, whicli is generally lai-gc, iiuiy l^c estimated at more 
than 150,000, of whicli numl>ci' about 4,000, pi'oljably,are 
Europeans, 35,000 Chinese, 1,200 Arabs, 11,000 Papuans, 
and the remainder natives. The total value of the 
annual exports are about $29,000,000, and of the imports 
not far from $23,000,000." 

" You have told us about the domestic animals of 
Java," said Eugene, presently, " ])ut I don't think you 
have said anything about the wild game." 

" The fact is," returned the Captain, " game does not 
abound here so much as in other countries, though hares 
and ral)ljits are pretty common, and deer and antelopes 
are also plentiful. Wild hogs and monkeys are found in 
the jungles, and the forests abound with tigers as power- 
ful and large as in Bengal." 

" Tigers ! " exclaimed Eugene, " that 's the kind of 
game for me." 

" Well, you '11 find plenty of them on the island. And 
there is a species of black tiger which is very ferocious." 

" Anything else ? " 

" Yes ; the rhinoceros is sometimes met with, and I 
must n't forget to speak of the white eagle, which is often 
seen here." 

" The Dutch did not discover Java ? " said Eugene, 
inquiringly. 

" No ; the island was discovered and settled on by the 
Portuguese in 1511 ; sixty years later, the Dutch made a 
lodgment at Bantam, and in 1602 the English erected 
their first East Indian factory at the same place. The 
Dutch, however, soon expelled both, and, gradually 
increasing their sway, have from that time remained the 
almost exclusive masters of this splendid island." 

" Now let us hear something about the natives," said 
Chester. 

" The natives," returned the Captain, are superior in 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 575 

civilization and mechanical skill to all the inhabitants of 
the Indian Archipelago, some of their silk and cotton 
fabrics showing an unapproachable excellence ; they are 
also admirable shipwrights, and generally make superior 
mechanics." 

" They must be the descendants of the builders of the 
wonderful temples whose ruins are scattered over the 
island," suggested Professor Singleton. 

"There can be no doubt of that," rejoined the Captain; 
" and the ruins you refer to are indeed wonderful. In 
number and beauty they are unsurpassed by the archi- 
tectural remains of any country in the world. The most 
extensive and interesting of these structures are at Bram- 
banam, Borobodo, and Gunong Prau. At Brambanam 
are the ' thousand temples,' and it is of the celebrated 
temple of Borobodo that Wallace says that the amount 
of human labor and skill expended on the great pyramids 
of Egypt sinks into insignificance when compared with 
that required to complete this sculptured hill temple in 
the interior of Java." 

" You have n't said one word about the wonderful bats 
of Java," insinuated Jasper Morgan. 

" True," returned the Captain ; " and nowhere does 
the bat attain to such immense dimensions as on this 
island, where it frequently measures five feet across the 
wings, and may be seen hanging in hundreds, extended 
from branches of trees, like rows of hides hung out to 
dry along the skirts of the forest. 

" Up to the time of the Arab invasion in the fifteenth 
century," continued Captain Watson, in a thoughtful 
tone, " Java appears to have been a great and flourishing- 
state, as the splendid Hindoo temples to Brahma and 
Buddha, of w^hich we have, just spoken, sufficiently tes- 
tify ; but, through the destruction of its magnificent 
capital by the conquerors, the island was given over to 



576 MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 

a number of petty chiefs, who tyrannized over the con- 
quered inhabitants, and converted the lately orderly and 
prosperous country into a scene of rapine and discord. 
In this state the Europeans found it, when, having dis- 
covered the new route, the East became no longer a 
mystery to the exploring spirit of the West ; and — " 

" Beg pardon, Captain," suddenly interrupted the mas- 
ter of the Albatross, who a moment before had started to 
his feet ; " but can anyone tell me anything about that 
steam-yacht yonder ? I ask because I saw a party put 
off to her a while ago, of which I think Daniel Kirby was 
one ; and now, you see, she is getting under way." 

By this time all were on their feet, gazing at the 
yacht ; and Mr. Davis said : 

"That is the Unj^est, young Lord Clairmont's yacht; 
he has been cruising among these islands for six months 
or more. He is a strange sort of fellow, and I heard 
only the other day that he had made up his mind to sell 
his yacht and settle on Tutuila, where he has bought 
immense tracts of land." 

" Sell his yacht, eh ? Hum ! " and turning abruptly, 
Captain Bradford cast a glance at the Mover. 

To all appearances there was not a single soul on 
board the schooner. 

"Deserted!" he. muttered. "That's strange," and 
then a thought struck him. 

" Morris, you have seen Lord Clairmont?" 

" Yes," answered Mr. Davis ; " many times." 

" What sort of a looking man is he ? " 

Mr. Davis described his lordship. 

" That 's the man Tom Grayson saw with the British 
consul and Daniel Kirby ; they entered the consulate 
together." 

" And what do you infer from that ? " asked Eugene, 
eagerly. 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 577 

" What can I infer but that the Ufirest is now the 
property of Lyman Pierpont, or George Thompson, as he 
calls himself ? Look at the deserted Hover lying there, 
and then at the yacht steaming away with Kirby, and no 
doubt the schooner's crew on board, and remember that 
the sloop has not yet returned, though she is certainly 
over-due." 

" That 's it ! You 've hit it, Captain. Uncle Lyman 
has given us the slip again, and now is off, perhaps to 
the other side of the Pacific, in a steamer as swift, no 
doubt, as our own." 

" What had we better do ? " asked Professor Singleton, 
nervously. 

" Go ashore at once, and learn all we can from the 
British consul." 

" And that will be precious little, I 'm thinking," 
muttered Eugene. 

" Leave it to me," said Mr. Davis, confidently. " I 
know a way to manage our English friend ; and whatever 
the facts in the case may be, within an hour you shall be 
in possession of tliem. Better all go to my house, and 
wait for me there." 

This course was decided upon ; and the whole party 
proceeded to the shore, Mr. Davis leaving them at the 
landing. 

An hour later he joined them at his residence, and after 
some hesitation, informed them that Captain Bradford's 
suspicions were correct. Daniel Kirby had bought the Un- 
rest for " George Thompson," and sold the Mover to God- 
defray & Co., the great Hamburg and Samoa merchants. 
The yacht had gone to Pago-Pago, to take her new owner 
aboard, and Lord Clairmont had taken passage in her. 

" We must start for Pago-Pago at once," exclaimed 
Captain Bradford, in a decided tone. 

" They '11 be away before you can get there," reasoned 
his friend. 



678 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 



" I fear you are right. Where are they bound, then — 
did you learn ? " 

" To the Tonga and Fiji Islands." 

" You are sure ? " 

" Quite sure." 

" Then we must be off." ^ 

" Yes ; your best course will be to go directly to Tonga, 
and if you should miss him there, try Yavao before you 
go to the Fiji group." 

" We will do so." And after once more partaking of 
Mrs. Davis's hospitality, the whole party proceeded to 
the landing, where the last farewells were spoken, when 
those belonging to the Albatross, a little sad and dis- 
pirited, were pulled aboard. 




SHARK-TOOTH GAUNTLET, 



While the anchors were being raised, the Professor 
and the two brothers stood on the quarter-deck, gazing 
toward the shore, where their friends still lingered. 

" I had hoped to see more of these beautiful islands," 
said Eugene, presently ; " and we must surely return to 
them at no distant day. I want, too, to see and learn 
more of their wonderful mats and ancient weapon^. Did 
you ever hear of their shark's-tooth gauntlets. Professor ?" 

" I don't know that I have," was the reply. 



MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 



579 



" The mode of fighting with them was this," said 
Eugene ; " the teeth were fixed in three rows on the 
palm and fingers of a species of glove or gauntlet made 
of the plaited bark of the hedho, and both hands being 
armed in this manner, every man endeavored to come to 
close quarters with his antagonist, and to tear open his 
bowels with these horrible weapons. Fearful, wasn't it ?" 

" Fearful, indeed ! " 

" Look ! look ! " exclaimed Chester, suddenly ; " it 's 
our last chance to wave our friends a farewell. Quick ! 
They see us." 

" Yes," cried Eugene, as he waved his handkerchief 
toward the shore, " farewell to Samoa ! " 




IDOL. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

TONGA — FIJI ISLANDS. 

ON leaving the harbor of AjDia, the course of the 
Albatross was laid for the island of Tonga, the 
most important in the three clusters which make up 
the group known as the Tonga or Friendly Islands. 

For the remainder of the day, the three passengers, 
and, indeed, the Captain and his mates, were quite dull 
and dispirited. Their repeated disappointments were 
beginning to tell upon them. But the next morning 
they were all a little more cheerful, and Eugene, seeing 
that they must visit another group of islands, resolved to 
know as much as possible about them ; so, after they had 
finished their breakfast, and had once more gathered on 
the quarter-deck, he turned to Professor Singleton, who, 
thanks to his brother professor and Captain Watson, had 
had quite a rest of late, and asked : 

" Who discovered the Tonga Islands, Professor ? " 

" They were discovered by the Dutch navigator, Abel 
Tasman, in 1643, and were visited and described in 1773 
and 1777 by Captain Cook, who gave them the name of 
Friendly from the apparentl}^ hospitable reception he met 
with from the inhabitants," was the answer, 

" Ah ! but that was a great mistake on the part of 
Cook," exclaimed Chester. " Mariner, who afterwards 
spent some years on the islands, says they were only 
deterred by fear from attacking the great discoverer and 
seizing his ships, as they did the Po7't au Prince a little 
later." 

" Quite true," assented the Professor ; " and in point 

(580) 



TONGA. 581 

of fact the character of the natives is not a whit better 
than that of the other Polynesians." 

" The group is quite a large one, is it not ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" It consists of about thirty-two greater and one hun- 
dred and fifty smaller islands, about thirty of which are 
inhabited," was the answer. 

" What is the population ? " asked Mr. Morgan. 

"Including whites and Fiji Islanders, not far from 
45,000, or possibly 50,000." 

"The islands are of coral formation, if I remember 
rightly," said Chester. 

" They are mostly of coral," explained the Professor, 
" and are surrounded by dangerous coral reefs. A few, 
however, are of volcanic origin, and in Tofooa there is a 
small but active volcano." 

" Chester tells me the group is divided into three 
clusters," observed Eugene. 

" Yes ; there are three distinct clusters," assented the 
Professor, " namely : the Tonga at the south, the Hapai 
in the center, and the Yavao at the north or northwest." 

"Mariner says the climate is very agreeable," remarked 
Chester. 

" It is healthy, but humid ; much rain falls, and — a 
very important matter — none of the islands are destitute 
of fresh water." 

"I judge the natives are inclined to be industrious, 
from what I have seen of them," said Captain Bradford. 

" There can be little doubt of that," returned the 
Professor. " The better class own extensive plantations, 
which they keep in a high state of cultivation, and all 
the natives raise bananas, yams, sweet potatoes, bread- 
fruit, sugar-cane, shaddock, limes, cocoanuts, and the ti. 
The pandanus, of which they make their mats, is one of 
their most valued trees, and is well cared for ; a little 



582 



TONGA. 



corn is grown, and they have the papaw apple and even 
the watermelon." 




" You forget the sweet orange, which has been success- 
fully introduced by the missionaries from Tahiti," sug 
gested the Captain. 



TONGA. 583 

" True ; but many other imported fruits and vegetable 
seeds have failed." 

" The flora very much resembles that of the Fiji group, 
does it not ? " asked Chester. 

" It is almost the same." 

"Are there any native animals ?" asked Eugene. 

" The hog, dog, and rat are the only native quadru- 
peds," was the reply. 

" Why do some writers call the island to which we are 
bound Tongataboo ? " asked Eugene. 

"Because they know no better, I strongly suspect," 
said the Captain. " For there 's just as much sense and 
propriety in calling our country Freeamerica, or England 
Merryengland, as to call that island Tongataboo. The 
fact is, years ago it exercised a sort of religious suprem- 
acy over the other islands, and was often spoken of as 
the Sacred (taboo) Isle, or Tonga the sacred (Tonga- 
taboo) ; but the adjective was never any part of the 
name." 

" That 's about what Mariner says," observed Chester. 

" Is it ? " laughed the Captain. " Well, I 'm glad to be 
supported by such good authority." 

" How large is the island of Tonga ? " asked Eugene. 

" It is about twenty miles long and a little more than 
twelve broad ; it is low and level, of coral formation, and 
rises nowhere more than sixty odd feet above the sea." 

" It was on this island, at the port of Bea, that Captain 
Croker, of the British sloop-of-war Favorite, was defeated 
in 1840 by the pagan natives," observed Chester. 

" Yes," assented the Professor ; " and in the engage- 
ment, which was undertaken in behalf of the Christian 
missionaries and their native partisans, Croker and many 
of his officers and men were slain." 

" Do the islands have a large trade ? " asked Eugene. 

" I am inclined to think not," answered the Professor. 
24 



584 



TONGA. 



" The only important article of export that I am aware 
of," said the Captain, " is cocoanut-oil." 
"Have they any good harbors?" 




DAUGHTER OF A CHIEF. 



"Port Refuge in Vavao is tlie best, and is much 
frequented by American and British vessels, especially 



whalers." 



TONGA. 585 

*' I judge from our several conversations," said Eugene, 
" that the Tongese contrast favorably with their neigh- 
bors, the Fijians, both in appearance and disposition." 

" They are a different people altogether," asserted the 
Professor ; " the Fijians belonging to the Papuan race, 
whereas the Tongese or Tongans belong to the brown 
Polynesian race, which does not possess the very crisp 
hair and rough skin of the Papuans ; and, as a rule, is 
much lighter in skin, the complexions being often, as we 
know, as white as that of many Europeans. They are, 
on the whole, a singularly handsome people, the beauty 
not being limited to the men, as is the case in so many 
groups, but possessed equally, if not to a superior degree, 
by the women." 

" That is true," agreed the Captain. " I remember in 
particular the daughter of a Tongan chief, who, not- 
withstanding her slightly tinted skin, would be called 
beautiful anywhere." 

" They must take good care of their women, then," 
said Eugene. 

" They do, indeed," returned the Captain, " and treat 
them with every consideration. The consequence of 
which is, the women possess a gentle freedom of de- 
meanor and grace of form which are never found among 
those people where women are merely the drudges of the 
men. Even so long ago as 1777, Captain Cook noticed 
that the women of this group were much more delicately 
formed than the men, that they were beautifully propor- 
tioned, and that the hands were so small and soft that 
they would compare favorably with the finest examples 
in Europe and America. Hard and constant labor, such 
as is usually the lot of savage women, deteriorates the 
form greatly, and the Tongans seem to have found out 
the fact ages ago. Their women certainly do work, but 
they are not condemned to do it all, the men taking the 



586 TONGA. 

hard labor on tliemsclves, antl leaving the women the 
lighter tasks, such as Ijeating guatoo, plaiting baskets, 
making dishes, and the like. At the great dances, the 
women are not only allowed to be present, but assist 
in them, taking as important a share as the men, and 
infusing into the dance a really cultiA^ated grace which 
would not exist without them." 

" Are the women usually lighter in complexion than 
the men ? " 

" The better class of women are ; and for the reason 
that they take more care of themselves than the men. 
Though all classes live for the most part in the open air, 
the wives and daughters of powerful and wealthy men 
are careful not to expose themselves to the sun more 
than is absolutely necessary, so that many of them, 
instead of being brown, are of a clear olive tint, the 
effect of which is singularly beautiful when contrasted 
with their dark, clustering hair, their guatoo garments, 
and the leaves and flowers with which they adorn them- 
selves, changing them several times daily." 

" Are their houses well constructed ? " asked Eugene. 

" Yes ; they are exceedingly well constructed, and are 
divided into two and sometimes three compartments by 
cocoanut-leaves. The inmates sit on the carefully swept 
floor, with a roll of narrow matting surrounding them, 
and there are few other articles of furniture excepting 
the four-legged wooden pillow. Within doors the chil- 
dren never wear any clothing until they are two years 
old; but when they go out, their parents always wrap 
around them a piece of guatoo or tappa. The natives 
are exceedingly fastidious about their dress, criticising 
every fold with minute care, and spending considerable 
time in arranging them. Even when bathing, they 
always array themselves in a slight dress made for such 
occasions, going aside for the purpose of exchanging the 



TONGA. 



587 



usual guatoo for an apron of leaves or matting. So 
disrespectful is utter nudity considered among the Ton- 
gans, that if a man is obliged to undress near the spot 




where a chief is buried, the leaf apron is worn while the 
dress is changed." 

" The islands are all under one government, are tliey 
not ? " asked Mr. Morgan. 



588 TONGA. 

" At the present time they arc," replied the Professor ; 
" formerly, however, they were governed l)y several inde- 
pendent chiefs. The northern and middle groups first 
united and formed the State of A''avao, under King 
George, of whom, of course, you have all heard ; and 
some years later he became the ruler of all the islands." 

" In Mariner's time, when the first Finow was king," 
observed Chester, " the natives were devoted to war. I 
supi)ose that is no longer true ? " 

" It is not," returned the Professor. " At the time you 
speak of, the natives were pagans ; they oifered human 
sacrifices, and cut off their little fingers and toes as 
propitiatory offerings to their gods ; and the women 
went nearly naked. Xo wonder they knew no better 
than to love war." 

" Their mythology was like that of the other Polyne- 
sians — a low typ ;' K\ Polytheism, was it not ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" Yes ; in that respect they were much like their 
neighbors. The spirits of all chiefs, they said, went to 
Bolotoo or Bulotu, which was a beautiful island not far 
distant, but just where they did not know. The souls of 
poor people remained in this world, to feed upon ants 
and lizards." 

" The people are noAV nearly all Christian, are they 
not?" asked Chester. 

" Yes ; the missionaries have done a good work in the 
islands, and they are no longer what they were a little 
more than half a century ago. Indeed, the Tongans are 
well advanced. They have printing presses and schools. 
IMost of the women can sew, and nearly every one can 
read and write both in their native tongue and English. 
"Why, King George himself, who has already been men- 
tioned, used to teach and preach almost every day." 

" I saw it stated, s@me ti^ne since," remarked the Cap- 



TONGA. 589 

tain, " that the Catholics had obtained a pretty firm hold 
in the southern cluster." 

" Yes," assented the Professor ; " a number of Catholic 
missionaries came to the islands from Prance, and firmly 
established themselves in the Tongan cluster, where a 
large portion of the natives have joined the Catholic 
Church." 

At this moment, with a hurried apology, Jasper Mor- 
gan called the Captain's attention to a black cloud which 
was just making its appearance on the southern horizon. 

The Captain started to his feet, and after a hasty 
glance at the southern sky, exclaimed : 

" We are going to have a storm, and if I am not 
greatly mistaken, it will be a serious one." 

The Captain was right. The storm came up with 
fearful rapidity, and being dead ahead, the yacht could 
make little progress, and was tumbled and tossed about 
on the angry waves in a most disagreeable manner. 

Of course there was no further chance for conversation. 
The unhappy passengers had all they could do to keep 
from being thrown about the cabin, whither they had 
retreated, and sat holding on to the table, or clinging to 
the sides of the stationary sofas, in silent misery. 

For two days the storm continued to rage, and then 
subsided as rapidly as it had arisen. The yacht, on the 
whole, had suffered very little ; but her progress had 
been greatly retarded, and this annoyed the Captain con- 
siderably. 

" But I don't see why it should fret you so," said 
Eugene, when he saw how the Captain was affected. 
" Surely, it will have delayed the Unrest as much as it 
has ourselves." 

" If you could only insure that statement as a fact I 
should be quite satisfied," returned the Captain. 

"But isn't it a fact ? " demanded Eugene, 



690 TONGA. 

" It may be. The chances, however, are that it is not. 
The Unrest, no doubt, was at some distance to the east- 
ward of us, and ten to one the storm never reached her. 
It is simply wonderful how confined in breadth some of 
these storms are. They move in a certain direction, as, 
for instance, from south to north, like a mighty river, 
only with a hundred times the velocity." 

" Hum ! Then the Unrest may have reached Tonga 
and left again before we can get there." 

" That's exactly what I fear." 

" Well, then, our stay at that island will be short." 

" As short as I can possibly make it," and the Captain 
hurried forward. 

In due time the island was reached, and the Albatross 
came to anchor in a pleasant harbor. It did not take 
them long after they had landed to find out that the 
Unrest had arrived two days before, and that she had 
remained in port less than twenty-four hours. It was 
thought by their informant that she had gone to Lefooga, 
or Levuga, the largest of the Hapai cluster ; but, he said, 
she might have gone directly to Vavao. 

With as little delay as possible the Alhatross was got 
under way for Yavao, the Captain thinking that, even if 
the Unrest called at Lefooga, he would stand a better 
chance to meet her at Port Refuge. 

The brothers were disappointed in not being able to 
visit certain interesting localities on Tonga. Eugene, 
especially, was anxious to see a particular cromlech, — a 
wonderful stone monument consisting of two perpendicu- 
lar rectangular blocks of stone, across which is a large 
slab holding an immense bowl, supposed to have been 
used in ancient kava ceremonies ; but he was somewhat 
consoled when he learned that the king was oii a visit to 
Yavao, and that doubtless he would have an opportunity 
to meet him there. 



TONGA. • 591 

The distance from Tonga to Yavao is not very great, 
and, after a pleasant sail of several hours, during which 
they saw many of the southern islands of the Hapai clus- 
ter, they came in sight of their destination, 

" What a lovely spot ! " exclaimed Eugene, as the Cap- 
tain pointed it out to him. 

" Ah ! I fancy you would not mind spending a few 
days there ? " 

" Mind it ! " cried the young man. " I should like it of 
all things. Is it really Yavao ? " 

"Yes, and we shall come to anchor in Port Refuge 
within half an hour or so." 

Rapidly they drew nearer, passing several lovely isles 
and islets, and at last entered the port. 

Almost before the anchors were down, the yacht was 
fairly surrounded by canoes, and, in a marvelously short 
time, the decks were crowded with natives, male and 
female. 

They were all neatly and modestly dressed, and ap- 
peared to be the best-natured people in the world. One, 
a distinguished looking individual, in very good English 
announced himself a chief, and stated that the king, being 
at the island and close at hand, sent word that he would 
be most happy to receive the Captain at his house on 
shore, and whoever he might see fit to bring with him. 

" Just the thing for us ! " exclaimed Captain Bradford 
to his friends. Then turning to the chief : " We will go 
with you as soon as you have done us the honor of par- 
taking of a slight luncheon in the saloon." 

The chief was pleased by the attention, and having 
indicated some half a dozen other persons of importance, 
they were included in the invitation, and all descended to 
the saloon. 

Being seated at the table, and an opportunity offering, 

the Captain asked if there had been any other yacht in 
24* 



692 TONGA 

port within the last twenty-four hours or so. There had 
not, hut one was reported among the Hapai Islands, and 
was expected late that evening or some time the next 
day ; indeed, they had supposed this to be the same yacht. 

So, in all human probability, the Unrest was no more 
than forty or fifty miles away, and they could afford to 
wait for her. 

Luncheon being finished, the Captain made each of his 
guests a present, then, having selected gifts for the king 
and queen, he signified his readiness to start for the 
shore. 

It was decided that they should go in tAvo of the yacht's 
boats, and into these the chief and the matabooles pre- 
ceded them. 

The shore where the village was situated was some- 
thing more than half a mile distant, but they reached it 
in a short time, and found the beach crowded with eager 
islanders. As they landed, their new friend, the chief, 
whose name was Talo, ordered the crowd to fall back, 
and immediately a path was opened, through which they 
passed to the king's house. 

On the way Talo told them — what, indeed, they already 
knew — that the king usually made the island of Tonga 
his residence ; " but," he said, " as often as once or twice a 
year he pays a visit to all the important islands of the" three 
clusters which make up his little kingdom; and so it hap- 
pens that he is at Yavao now." 

By this time they had reached and entered the house, 
where they were warmly received by his tawny majesty. 

They spent an hour or so quite pleasantly, and as they 
were about to withdraw the king said : 

" To-morrow, with a party of my chiefs and friends, I 
propose to pay a visit to the neighboring island of Hoonga, 
to enjoy a game of rat-shooting — something my ances- 
tors were very fond of, and I should be pleased to have 
you all accompany me." 



_ • TONGA. 593 

Eugene cast an eager glance at the Captain, who, see- 
ing and understanding it, made haste to reply to the king. 

"I fear," he said, "it will be impossible for us all to 
accept your majesty's kind invitation, as imperative 
duties are likely to detain one or more of us on board the 
yacht; but the others will be delighted to accompany 
you." 

The king graciously said he could not expect any of 
them to neglect their duties, but that he would be pleased 
to see as many of the party as could make it conyenient 
to join in the sports. And with this understanding, 
they withdrew. 

The next morning, as nothing had been seen of the 
Unrest, it was decided that the brothers should accom- 
pany the king; and so they were pulled ashore at an 
early hour, to be in time to join the hunting party, and 
soon afterwards stepped into the royal canoe. 

After a pleasant sail they landed on an island as beau- 
tiful, but by no means as large as the one they had left, 
and preparations were at once made for the morning's 
sport. 

As the hog, dog, and rat are the only native quadru- 
peds of these islands, rat-hunting is really the most excit- 
ing recreation the king and his chiefs can indulge in, and, 
as may readily be supposed, for ages they have made the 
most of it. 

The attendants were ordered to procure and roast some 
cocoanut, which being done, and the king having informed 
them which way he intended to take, they proceeded 
along the road selected, chewing the roasted cocoanut 
very finely as they went, and blowing a little of it at a 
time out of their mouths with considerable force, but so 
as not to scatter the particles too much ; for, as Talo 
told them, if they were widely distributed, the rats would 
not be tempted to stop and pick them up, and if the pieces 



694 TONGA. 

were too large, thc^ would each i"un away with one, 
instead of stopping to eat their fill. 

The bait was distributed on each side of the road, and 
the attendants proceeded till they reached a certain point 
agreed upon. Whenever they came to a cross-road they 
thrust a reed into the ground, as a taboo or marlt of pro- 
hibition for any one to come farther in that direction and 
disturb the rats, while the king and his friends were en- 
joying their sport. And this taboo is always respected, 
even by the most powerful chiefs. If one should be pass- 
ing, and see a reed stuck in the »oad, he would stop at 
some distance and sit down on the ground, out of respect 
for the king, or politeness to his fellow chiefs, and wait 
patiently till the shooting party had passed. A few years 
ago, a petty chief or one of the common people would not 
have dared to infringe upon the taboo, as it would have 
been at the risk of his life. 

The attendants having arrived at iihe point where they 
were to stop, sat down to prepare kava, having previously 
given orders to the owners of the neighboring plantations 
to send the king a supply of refreshments, such as pork, 
fowls, yams, sweet potatoes, ripe bananas, and water- 
melons. 

Meantime, the company having been divided into two 
parties, set out about a quarter of an hour after the 
attendants had commenced distributing the bait. But 
before starting they selected leaders, the king being chosen 
to head the first party, and Talo the other. Then the 
two parties were mixed in the following manner: the 
king having taken his place in the middle of the road, 
Talo designated one of his men, who instantly fell in 
behind his majesty. Then the king called one of his own 
party, who took his position behind this man; then came 
another of Talo's party, then one of the king's, and so on 
alternately. Thus the two parties were made up for the 
game. 



TONGA. 596 

The brothers noticed that certain rules were carefully 
observed throughout the morning. In the first place, no 
one attempted to shoot a rat in front of him except the 
person who happened, for the time being, to be first in 
the line ; but any one shot at one that he happened to 
see, either abreast or behind him. As soon as one of the 
hunters had fired an arrow, whether he hit the object 
aimed at or not, he changed places with the man next 
behind him ; so that, after a time, the last man, who nat- 
urally did not have as many opportunities to fire as the 
others, came to be first, and, on the other hand, the kingj 
in his row, and Talo, in his, came to be last. Talo's 
party, having killed ten rats, won the game. If there are 
plenty of rats, they generally play several games. 

As soon as they arrived at any of the cross roads, 
they pulled up the reeds placed as a taboo, that travelers 
coming afterwards might not be interrupted in their pro- 
gress. When they arrived at the place where the attend- 
ants were waiting, they sat down and partook of what 
was prepared for them, the brothers enjoying it hugely — 
all but the kava, which, for obvious reasons, they could 
not touch. 

While they were eating, Talo gave the brothers some 
further information with regard to the game. 

" If," he said, " any one of either party should see a 
fair shot at a bird, he may take aim at it. If he kills it, 
it counts the same as a rat ; but whether he hits it or not, 
if he ventures a shot, he changes place with the man 
behind him." 

" I noticed," remarked Eugene, " that whenever a rat 
started to run, the man who was going to shoot at him 
cried out, ' Too ! ' " 

" Yes," said Talo, " in our language that means ' Stop ! ' 
And generally, as you may also have noticed, it has the 
effect of making the rat stop." 



696 TONGA. 

" Yes," laughed Eugene, " I ol)served thai , and then he 
would sit up, and appear too much frightened to attempt 
his escape." 

"What long arrows you use," observed Chester. 

" Yes," assented the chief, " for these games they are 
nearly six feet long, and, as you see, they are made of 
reed, headed with iron-wood. They are not feathered," 
he added, taking up one, " and their great length is requi- 
site, that they may go straight enough to hit a small 
object ; besides which, it is advantageous in taking aim 
through a thick bush." 

" You don't have more than two or three apiece, I no- 
ticed," said Eugene. 

" No ; for as soon as a person has discharged one from 
his bow, it is immediately brought to him ]jy one of the 
attendants who follow the party." 

" The bows are also about six feet long, are they not ? " 
asked Chester. 

" Yes," was the reply ; " and they are not quite as 
strong as ordinary bows, lest the difficulty of bending 
them should occasion a slight trembling of the hand, 
which would render the aim less certain." 

" I see the rats have been saved," said Eugene. " Are 
they put to any use ? " 

" Ah ! " laughed Talo. " You had better ask the attend- 
ants about that. I suppose they eat them ; they either do 
so or sell them to the common people for food, but chiefs 
never make a meal of them, though, as they live chiefly 
upon such vegetable substances as sugar-cane, bread fruit, 
and cocoanut, I see no reason why we should not, if our 
taste should happen to run that way." 

The party, having finished their lunch, directed their 
walk at random across the island, and came at length to 
a peculiar and noAV very famous cavern, situated on the 
western coast, the entrance to which is some feet beneath 



TONGA. 597 

the surface of the sea, even at low water, and was first 
discovered by a young chief, while diving after a turtle. 

This really wonderful cavern is described by Lord 
Byron, in his poem entitled " The Island," and a fascin- 
ating legend attaches to it. Perhaps its nature will be 
better understood if we imagine a hollow rock rising sixty 
odd feet above the surface of the water, into the cavity of 
which there is no known entrance but one, and that on 
the side of the rock, several feet under the water which 
flows into it ; and consequently the base of the cavern 
may be said to be the sea itself. 

The king proposed that they should all enter the sub- 
marine cave, and, after some hesitation, Chester and Eu- 
gene consented. They took their places in a canoe, and 
were paddled out in front- of the rock, where two upright 
sticks were pointed out to them as marking the entrance. 
Having jumped overboard, two natives seized each by the 
hand, and directed them to the entrance. They experi- 
enced some difficulty in getting through, but at last rose 
to the surface of the water in the cavern. The phosphor- 
escent light caused by the movement of the water is very 
brilliant,* and the roof and walls are indescribably grand 
in form and color. The brothers were charmed, delighted, 
and the half-hour they spent in that strange place was 
like a dream. But the worst part was to come : they 
were obliged to return to the outer world by the same 
way they had entered ; and when at length they emerged 
from the water on the outside and were lifted into the 
canoe they were almost completely exhausted. 

After this adventure the party returned to Vavao, and 
the brothers hastened on board the yacht. Captain Brad- 
ford and the Professor were on the quarter-deck convers- 
ing with a white man and a native chief. 

" Ah ! " exclaimed the Captain, as the brothers ap- 
proached, " we were waiting for you." 



598 TONGA. 

" What ! is there anything new ?" asked Eugene eagerly, 
at the same time eying the white stranger with a curious 
glance. 

" Yes," answered the Captain. " Your ignis-fatuus of 
an uncle has given us the slip again. He has gone to 
Viti Levu, the principal island of the Fiji group." 

" How do you know ? " demanded Eugene, quickly. 

" These gentlemen told me," and the Captain indicated 
the white man and his tawn/ companion. 

Eugene looked as though he would like a farther expla- 
nation ; and in answer to. the look the Captain said : 

" This is Mr. Thomas Talbot of Yiti Levu, and this the 
chief Lolo Hea, a native of Yavao, but residing at Yiti 
Levu. They have been to the Hapai Islands on important 
business, and were anxious to' return home by way of 
Yavoa. At Lefooga they saw the Unrest, and were told 
that she was coming here, and then would proceed to 
Eiji. As that would just suit them, they hastened aboard 
and solicited passage. ' George Thompson,' the captain 
and owner, informed them that he had been obliged to 
change his plans, and should not stop at Yavao, or any of 
the islands of this cluster, but proceed at oncfe to Fiji, 
after which he would sail to the north." 

" To the north ! " exclaimed the brothers in a breath. 
" What does that mean ? " 

" It simply means he is going to Hawaii." 

" Why, I thought he was going to settle in this or one 
of the neighboring groups," said Eugene. 

" I think he is a man who is not of the same mind two 
days together," rejoined the Captain. 

" It begins to look very much like it. But how did 
these men get here, if. they did not come in the Unrest f " 

" That 's easily explained," said Mr. Talbot. " We came 
in that little trading sloop yonder, and made a mighty 
quick passage." 



FIJI ISLANDS. 599 

" And learning on shore that we were likely to be going 
to Fiji," added the Captain, " they came off to see me, 
and I have agreed to take them." 

" And when do you sail, Captain ? " asked Chester. 

" Almost immediately," was the answer. 

" Here comes the king and all his chiefs and matabooles 
to return our visit," -exclaimed Eugene, suddenly. 

" Then we must give them an hour, I suppose," said 
the Captain ; " but after that we will be off." 

" All right. I 'm agreeable," returned Eugene. 

The king and his friends came on board, and were re- 
ceived with due honor. They spent a very pleasant hour, 
and left the yacht with regret. Immediately after their 
departure the Captain gave the signal, and the Albatross 
steamed out of the harbor on her way to Fiji or the Yiti 
Islands. 

Naturally, it being a lovely day, or rather evening, for 
the day was well-nigh spent, the passengers established 
themselves on the quarter-deck ; and here, when the yacht 
had been put upon her course, the Captain joined them. 

" When shall we see the first islands of the Fijian 
group. Captain?" asked Eugene, before he had fairly 
taken his seat. 

" By this time to-morrow," was the answer. 

" There are a vast number of islands in the archipelago," 
observed Chester. 

"More than two hundred and twenty-five," said Mr. 
Talbot, " of which number one hundred and forty are in- 
habited." 

" Fiji is the name for the whole group, is it not ? " asked 
Eugene. 

" Not strictly speaking," was the reply ; " though cus- 
tom has made it so. Fiji is the name in the windward or 
northern portion, and Viti in the leeward or southern." 

" You have lived on the islands for some time, have 
you not ? " asked Captain Bradford. 



600 FIJI ISLANDS. 

" About eighteen years," answered Mr. Talbot. 

" Ah ! then yon must know a great deal about them," 
exclaimed Eugene. 

" Yes, perhaps as much as any white man in the group," 
said their new friend. 

" Why, you were there before the islands were ' gobbled 
up ' by the English." 

" Gently, gently, my young friend. I am an English- 
man myself, and, I can assure you, the annexation was 
the best thing in the world for Fiji." 

" Ah ! but would you say so if any other country had 
taken possession of the islands — the United States, for 
instance ?'" 

" I would have thrown up both hands for joy if the 
United States had taken them. Why, young man, I was 
one of the seventy white residents who petitioned your 
government to assume the dominion or protectorate of 
the islands as long ago as 1869." 

" And our government paid little or no attention to 
your petition, I suppose ? " 

'' None worth mentioning." 

" So then you turned to England ? " 

" Yes, for something had to be done. We were having 
some terrible experiences there. I could tell you things 
that would fairly make your hair stand on end, and mat- 
ters were going from bad to worse." 

"Was n't there whites enough to take control of affairs ?" 

" In 1871 the white population had so far increased 
that we thought we might venture to do something, and 
so established a regular government and adopted a con- 
stitution. But it didn't last : the constitution was abol- 
ished, and the government rcla|)scd into barbarism. It 
was in 1874 that we tendered the sovereignty of Fiji to 
Great Britain, and later when she took possession." 

" How many whites are there in the group at the pres- 
ent time ? " asked Professor Singleton. 



FIJI ISLANDS. 601 

" Not less than 5,500," was the answer. " But that 's 
nothing when compared with the natives, who number 
more than 250,000." 

" The island to which we are bound is the largest, the 
Captain says," remarked Eugene. 

" Yes, Viti Levu, or Naviti Levu, is the largest and 
most populous island of the group ; it is more than ninety- 
seven miles from east to west, and about sixty-four miles 
from north to south." 
- " And it has at least one good harbor," suggested the 
Captain. 

" Yes," assented Mr. Talbot. " Suva harbor is well 
sheltered, free from shoals, and easy of access." 

" There are quite a number of large towns on the 
island, I am told," said the Professor. 

" Yes ; I can think of some eighteen or twenty, of 
which, perhaps, Namena is the largest." 

" Which is the next most important island ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Vanua Levu, or Great Island, which is sixty-nine 
miles north of Bau, a small island just east of Viti Levu, 
from which distance in the group is always reckoned. It 
is one hundred and fifteen miles long, and, on an average, 
twenty-five miles broad. It has eleven or twelve large 
towns and a great many villages." 

" It has a very fine bay, if I remember rightly," observed 
the Captain. 

" Yes, indeed ; the Bay of Nasavusavu is ten miles long 
and five miles broad, and is surrounded by very high and 
broken land, rising in many places into lofty mountain 
peaks. In fact, the island is mountainous, and can boast 
of several fine streams, one of which empties into the bay. 
The third island is Taviuni, often called Vuna or Somo- 
somo. It is about twenty-four miles long, and nine broad. 
The whole island is one vast mountain, 2,052 feet high, 
and very fertile." 



602 • FIJI ISLANDS. 

" Is n't that the island where they catch the big eels ? " 
asked Eugene. 

" Yes. On the toj:) of the mountain is a lake containing 
vast numbers of large eels, of which the natives are very 
fond." 

" Are there many inhabitants on this island ? " asked 
Chester. 

"Yes, it is quite thickly settled, and has many large 
towns." 

" Of course," continued Mr. Talljot, " it would take me 
all night to speak of all the islands ; but I must not pass 
over one — Ovalau, a mountainous island, very beautiful, 
and of volcanic origin. It is about twenty miles from 
Bau, and is eight miles long, and about seven broad. 
There are many lovely valleys, but they extend only a 
short distance into the interior, and have little level 
ground. They are exceedingly fertile, with a deep, rich 
soil, and are all well cultivated. There are mau}^ har- 
bors, all formed by the reefs, and on these harbors, of 
course, there are many towns and villages." 

"Levuka is on this island, is it not ?" nsked Eugene. 

" Yes ; it is situated on the east side, and, as you doubt- 
less know, is chiefly inhabited by foreigners. For years 
it has been the seat of the Fijian government, the resi- 
dence of foreign consuls, the jjrincipal port, and has sev- 
eral large buildings, such as churches, hotels, and stores. 

" But, after all, it is not the largest nor the most im- 
portant town," observed the Captain. 

" No ; that distinction belongs to Bau, or Mbau," replied 
Mr. Talbot, " a place of some 1,500 inhabitants, on the 
small island of the same name, which is connected with 
the large island of A'iti Levu by a stretch of coral, forda- 
ble at high water, and partially bare at low water." 

" Lakemba, or Lakeba, is the principal island on the 
windward side of the group, is it not?" asked Mr. Mor- 
gan, who had joined the party on the quarter-deck. 



FIJI ISLANDS. 603 

" Yes," assented Mr. Talbot, " and its chief town is 
Tombou. It is about one hundred and sixty miles from 
Bau." 

" Fiji is rich in vegetation and very fruitful, I believe," 
said the Professor, in a suggestive way. 

" While there are a few not very productive islands," 
returned Mr. Talbot, " by far the greater number abound 
in forest trees and every species of fruit and vegetable. 
At present we are raising large quantities of cotton, and 
many of the whites, including myself, are planting coffee." 

" Fish are plenty ? " 

" Yes, and of every variety, including sole, mullet, and 
a kind of sea worm, called babolo, found on some reefs 
toward the latter part of the year, and which is much es- 
teemed by the natives as food. Oysters also are plenty. 
Then there are birds, more kinds than I can name, from 
the sacred coqe to the little Mci.^' 

" Now about the natives," said Eugene. " That 's what 
will interest me most." 

" Well, what shall I tell you about them ?" 

" Don't tell us anything we already know," said Ches- 
ter, hastily ; " for that would only be a waste of time." 

" Now you have me," laughed Mr. Talbot, good-na- 
turedly. " How can I tell what you know ? " 

" Well," said Chester, " we know that they belong to 
the Papuan race, that they are stout of limb and short of 
neck, that they are much darker than the Tongans, but 
lighter than Africans, that they dress their hair much 
after the style of the Papuans, and usually wear heavy 
beards and mustaches." 

" Why, it looks as though there was very little left for 
me to tell," laughed the Englishman. 

" Oh, yes, there is a great deal," said Eugene. " For 
instance : is it true that they do not practice tattooing ? " 

" They are not wholly free from the custom ; but only 



604 FIJI ISLANDS. 

women are tattooed, and that on the parts of the body 
which are covered." 

" How do they dress ? " 

"The men wear a sash of white, brown, or figured 
masi, using, generally, about six yards ; but I have often 
seen wealthy persons with them mora than a hundred 
yards long. The women wear a liku^ or fringed band, 
made of some kind of grass, the bark of a tree, and the 
fiber of a wild root. The fringe is from three to ten 
inches deep." 

" They have a great weakness for ear ornaments," sug- 
gested the Captain. 

" Yes, they bore the lobe of the ear, and distend the 
hole, and wear enormous trinkets," 

" Both sexes paint their bodies ? " said Mr. Morgan, 
inquiringly. 

"Yes, generally using red paint. They also anoint 
themselves with oil." 

" Girls marry at a A^ery early age ? " said the Captain. 

" Yes, and often to old men. They have a great many 
very singular customs : for instance, brothers and sisters, 
first cousins, fathers and sons-in-law, mothers and daugh- 
ters-in-law never speak to each other nor eat from the 
same dish ; and, for that matter, husbands and wives do 
not eat together." 

''• They eat but two meals a day, I think," said the 
Captain. 

" That is only the common people. The chiefs eat 
three, or even more meals." 

" Is it true that no two persons ever drink from the 
same cup ? " asked Eugene. 

" It would be true if any one ever drank from a cup ; but, 
because they will not drink after each other, they hold 
the vessel about ten inches above the mouth, and pour 
the stream down the throat." 



FIJI ISLANDS. 605 

" That 's a little inconsistent," muttered the Captain ; 
" for I have myself seen them eating with their fingers." 

" Of course ; and they would think it very uncleanly to 
use a knife or fork that some one might have used before 
them." 

" They are a singular people ; but the missionaries have 
done a great work among them of late," remarked the 
Professor. 

"Indeed they have," rejoined Mr. Talbot, warmly. 
" Just think what they were only a few short years ago, 
and what they are to-day. Why, I can remember when 
they were a nation of cannibals, nothing more ; but that's 
all changed now, and the missionaries deserve the credit 
of it." 

" You must have seen Thakombau, the late king of 
Ban, quite often ? " 

" Oh, yes ; and a more heartless old villain never lived. 
But the missionaries made quite another man of him be- 
fore he died." 

" So I should judge from an article I find in a late 
number of the Missionafy Herald. Referring to the 
change in him and his people, the writer says : ' They 
have altogether ceased to be cruel. One's life is as safe 
in Fiji as it would be in any part of the world, and the 
kindly people care most thoughtfully for all who come 
among them. The missionaries who have labored there 
with such marvelous success have been English Wesley- 
ans ; and they have churches, with crowded congrega- 
tions, on every island, and there is scarcely a house in 
which may not be heard daily morning and evening prayer 
in the family. There are 1,400 schools and 900 native 
preachers in Fiji. Old Thakombau, the once treacherous 
and bloodthirsty cannibal, died in 188-i, a faithful, gentle, 
intelligent, and devoted Christian, who was greatly re- 
spected and loved by all who saw him. The lion had 
become the lamb.' " 



606 



FIJI ISLANDS. 



" All quite true," assented Mr. Talbot ; " still, in the 
mountain fastnesses, there are many pagans left 3'et, who 

cling to their formidable weap- 
ons of war and ancient customs." 
" What arms do these moun- 
tain savages chiefly use?" asked 
Eugene. 

" Clubs, spears, battle-axes, 
the bow, the sling, the musket, 
and they even have a few rifles," 
was the answer. 

" I have heard something about 
their clubs," said Eugene. " In 
most of them, I take it, is exhib- 
ited the fancifully artistic nature 
of the manufacturers." 

" Yes, upon his club the Fijian 
lavishes all the artistic power at 
his command, covering nearly 
the whole of it with the most 
intricate and delicately executed 
carvings. Some clubs are 
straight, like thick cudgels ; 
others are curved. Those which 
are knobbed at the end have an 
infinite variety in the knob. 
Some are more or less flattened, 
while others are so flat and so 
broad that it is not easy at first 
sight to determine whether they 
are clubs or paddles. Some are 
so large that they require a strong 
man to wield them, while others are so short that they 
are kept stuck in the girdle, and are used as missiles. A 
pagan Fijian often has two or more of these short clubs 
with him." 




FIJIAN CLUBS. 



FIJI ISLANDS. 607 

" I suppose there are still some of their pagan temples 
to be seen ? " said Chester inquiringly. 




FIJIAN CLUBS. 



"Yes, lures, or temples of the gods, are still to be met 
with. Formerly, there was at least one bufe in every 
village, and in some villages there were several. They 



35 



608 FIJI ISLANDS. 

were made of the same material as the houses, but with 
much more care. Instead of being merely set on the 




A BURE, OR TEMPLE. 

ground, they were placed on an eminence, sometimes only 
a slight one, and sometimes twenty feet or more in height. 
The natives used to think no labor too erreat for the deco- 



FIJI ISLANDS. 609 

ration of a lure, and it was in those buildings that their 
marvelous skill in plaiting sinnet was best shown. Every 
beam, post, and pillar was entirely covered with sinnet 
plaited into the most beautiful patterns, black and red 
being the favorite colors ; and even the reeds which lined 
the window-frames and filled up the interstices between 
the pillars, were hidden in the plaited sinnet with which 
they were covered. So lavish were the natives of their 
work that they even made large plaited cords of sinnet, 
and hung them in festoons from the eaves." 

•' I certainly hope we shall have a chance to see one of 
their hurSs,'' said Eugene. 

" You shall," rejoined Mr. Talbot, " for I will myself 
take you to one of them." 

"It's a bargain," cried Eugene. 

" The Fijians have a great weakness for speech-making, 
have they not ? " asked Chester, presently. 

" You may well call it a weakness," returned Mr. Tal- 
bot. " They seem, above all things, to like to hear them- 
s^ves talk ; and when they speak in council or before 
any great assembly, they always hold a curious article in 
their hand, which is called the orator's flapper. I have 
one at home, and it is well worth examining. The han- 
dle is carved into various patterns, and is terminated by 
a rude representation of a couple of human figures seated 
back to back. Sometimes the entire handle is covered 
with sinnet, plaited in the most delicate patterns, as only 
a Fijian can plait. The tuft at the end is formed of 
cocoanut fiber, which has first been soaked in water, next 
rolled round a small twig, and then dried. When it is 
unwound from the stick it has a crisp, wrinkled appear- 
ance, like the Fijians' hair, which I have no doubt it is 
intended to represent." 

Eugene was about to ask another question, but the 
Captain intimated that the steward would probably be 



610 



FIJI ISLANDS. 



glad to see them in the saloon Lelow, as he remembered 
hearing the supper-bell some little time before. And so, 
leaving the subject of Fiji, they hastened to discuss the 
good things prepared for them by the yacht's " doctor." 




obatob's flapper. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

THE next day the passengers on board the yacht 
caught sight of the outlying isles of the Fiji group 
rather earlier than the Captain had promised they should. 
And from that time till they came to anchor in Suva 
harbor, there were always several to be seen on either 
hand. 

On reaching port the Captain and his guests hastened 
ashore, although it was nearly night ; and, while Mr. 
Talbot and Lolo Hea went to their own homes, the others 
proceeded to the residence of the American consul. 

The Unrest, the consul informed them, had not arrived; 
and when they expressed their disappointment, he sug- 
gested that she might be at Ban. The suggestion appear- 
ing reasonable, they resolved to return to the yacht for 
the night, and if the Unrest was not in port in the morn- 
ing, to seek her at Ban. 

The morning came. They were on deck bright and 
early, but there was no Unrest in the harbor to giad- 
dea their eyes. The Captain said he would wait an 
hour for her, and that, meantime, they would break- 
fast. While they were at the table Mr. Talbot came 
aboard. He was already acquainted with the fact that 
the other yacht had not arrived at Suva, and approved of 
the plan of looking for her at Ban. He offered to accom- 
pany them there, and they accepted the offer with pleasure. 

The Albatross was got under way almost immediately, 
and, a few hours later, was in the harbor of Bau. Noth- 

(611) 



C12 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

ing had been seen of the Unrest there, and, after some 
hesitation, Captain Bradford determined to seek for her 
in every part of the group. Mr. Talbot remained with 
them, and the brothers found him a valuable companion 
whenever they had an opportunity to go ashore on the 
different islands. At length, when they had been cruis- 
ing about the group for nearly a w^eek, and had returned 
to Suva for the third time, they learned that the Unrest 
had been there for twenty-four hours, and then had sailed 
for Lahaina, the port of Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands. 

They hastened to the landing, where, with many ex- 
pressions of regret, they parted with Mr. Talbot, and were 
pulled out to the yacht. A little later they were steam- 
ing toward the north at the rate of fifteen knots an hour. 

That evening, when they were gathered in the saloon, 
Eugene took occasion to consult the chart. He saw that, 
on their long passage to Kalakaua's little kingdom, they 
would pass myriads of islands on either hand, some of 
which he felt quite well acquainted with, such as the 
Duke of York's and the Kingsmills, while of others, like 
Solitary, Arthur, and Palmyra, he knew little more than 
their names. 

" Maui," he said, looking up, with his finger resting on 
the point toward which they were hastening, " is n't that 
the island where Speckles's great sugar plantation is 
situated ?" 

" Yes," answered the Professor, " and it is the largest 
plantation in the world, the area under cultivation being 
10,000 acres, one-quarter of which is planted every year. 
About ^2,000,000 have already been expended on the 
' plant.' The machinery, which was made in the United 
States, is of the best. The ditches which supply the water 
cost $250,000, and one of them is twenty miles long." 

" The plantation must give employment to a great 
many men," suggested Chester. 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 613 

"Yes, more than 1,500 common laborers are employed, 
of which number 900 are Chinese. Then, to make up the 
complement, there are Japanese, Hawaiians, and other 
Polynesians, and natives of every nation in Europe and 
America." 

" To support such a vast number they must produce an 
enormous quantity of sugar," said Chester. 

" They grind up no less than 800 tons of cane per day, 
resulting in a daily yield of about eighty tons of sugar." 

" Under favorable conditions, what ought the average 
yield to be per acre ? " asked Eugene. 

" Perhaps four tons would be a fair average, though 
there are small plantations that yield as high as eight 
tons per acre." 

" It strikes me as a little singular that there should be 
such a wide representation of nationalities on these is- 
lands," said Eugene. " How do you account for it, Pro- 
fessor ? " 

" It is easily accounted for," was the answer. " The 
natives are not fond of work. As a rule, they labor only 
when they are driven to it, and that isn't often, as they 
subsist mainly on raw fish and poi, and the item of cloth- 
ing is not very burdensome. Hence, as no dependence 
could be placed on them, and as it was necessary to have 
laborers for the plantations, the Chinese were called in ; 
and, after 20,000 had landed, it was found that they were 
more of a curse than a blessing, and so further immigra- 
tion from that quarter was checked. ' Then other nations 
were tried, one after another, until they came to Japan, 
where, I think, they have found just the help they want ; 
and already 2,100 of the Japanese have made Hawaii their 
home." 

" But, according to a newspap(. 'tem I have here," said 
Chester, " the children of the mikado are not regarded by 
the Hawaiians with quite the satisfaction your remark 



614 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

would seem to imply. ' The authorities of Honolulu,' it 
says, ' are discussing a plan for importing Scotch crofters 
to work on the sugar plantations, the late experiment 
with Japanese having proved disastrous.' " 

-"I am surprised to hear that," said the Professor, 
thoughtfully, " for I had been led to expect much from 
the Japanese. Now, I don't know where the redemption^ 
of the little kingdom is to come from." 

"I have seen many statements," said Chester, " pur- 
porting to give the population of the islands, but they dif- 
fer so widely I don't know what to believe. Can you 
give us the correct figures. Professor?" 

" On the nineteenth day of last August," replied the 
Professor, " the secretary of state received an official copy 
of the last census of the Hawaiian Islands, taken during 
the latter part of the preceding December, which makes 
the total population of the islands 84^409. Of this num- 
ber 19,818 are Chinese, 9,000 Portuguese, and 2,068 
Japanese." 

" According to that and other published statements, I 
should judge the foreigners must outnumber the natives 
by this time." 

" The foreigners and half-breeds together outnumber 
the natives, without doubt," 

" Are there many half-breeds ? " 

" Several thousands." 

" I have always heard the natives spoken of as a good- 
looking people," said Eugene. 

" The men, as a rule, are tall, active, and powerful, 
and, in color, are of an olive brown, the precise depth of 
tint varying much according to the exposure to the sun, 
so that the skins of the upper class are much lighter than 
those of the common people. The hair is jet black, 
sometimes quite straight, and sometimes wavy. The face 
is usually wide, and is a A-ery handsome one, the only 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 617 

fault being a tendency to width across the nostrils. Of 
course, thej have adopted the dress of the foreigners, 
though, in certain localities, thej' still, at times, wear the 
maro. 

" The women, when young, are exceedingly beautiful^ 
their features having a peculiar charm of their own, and 
their forms being like those of the ancient Grecian stat- 
ues. Moreover, thej^ retain their good looks longer than 
is usual among Polynesians ; but, like the other sex, they 
generally attain to great size in their latter years, those 
of the upper class being remarkable for their enormous 
corpulence. This development is probably owing to the 
great quantity of jjoi which they are continually eating." 

" Don't let us get away from their youth and beauty, if 
you please," said Eugene, hastily. " Just hear what the 
'Ha616' says of one of them." 

" We are quite ready to listen to the words of the '■for- 
eigner ' " smiled the Professor. " What does he say of 
the fair maids of Hawaii ? " 

" ' On leaving the shore-road to ascend the mountains 
for Halawa,' he says, ' I met just such a specimen as has 
often driven men mad, and whose possession has, many a 
time, paved the way to the subversion of empire on the 
part of monarchs. She was rather above the medium 
size of American women. Her finely chiseled chin, nose, 
and forehead were singularly Grecian. Her beautifully 
moulded neck and shoulders looked as though they might 
have been borrowed from Juno. The development of her 
entire form was as perfect as nature could make it. She 
was arrayed in a single loose robe, beneath which a pretty 
little nude foot was just peeping out. Her hair and eye- 
brows were as glossy as a raven's wing. Around her 
head was carelessly twined a wreath of the beautifid na- 
tive ohelo flowers (^0-ualtlieria pendidijlormri). Her lips 
seemed fragrant with the odor of countless and untiring 



618 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

kisses. Her complexion was much fairer than the fairest 
of her countrywomen, and I was forced into the conclu- 
sion that she was the- off-shoot of some white father Avho 
had trampled on the seventh precept in the Decalogue, or 
taken to his embrace, by the marriage relation, some 
good-looking Hawaiian woman. But lier eyes ! I never 
shall forget those eyes ! They retained something that 
spoke of an affection so deep, a* spiritual existence so in- 
tense, a dreamy enchantment so inexpressibly beautiful, 
that they reminded one of the beautiful Greek girl, 
Myrrha, in Byron's tragedy of " Sardanapalus," whose 
love clung to the old monarch when the flame of the 
funeral pile formed their winding-sheet. 

" ' In no former period of my life had I ever raised my 
hat in the presence of beauty ; but at this moment, and 
in such a presence, I tooh it off. I was entirely fasci- 
nated, charmed, spell-bound now. I stopped my horse ; 
and there I sat to take a fuller glance at the fair reality. 
And the girl stopped, and returned the glance, while a smile 
parted her lips, and partially revealed a set of teeth as white 
as snow, and of matchless perfection. I felt that smile to 
be an unsafe atmosphere for the nerves of a bachelor ; so 
I bowed, replaced my hat, and passed on my way, feeling 
fully assured that nothing but the chisel of Praxiteles 
could have copied her exquisite charms. And as I gen- 
tly moved past her, she exclaimed, in the vocabulary of 
her country, " Love to you." ' There, what do you think 
of that for a pen picture ? " 

" Rather overdrawn, I fear," smiled the Captain, 
skeptically. 

" And you have • disappointed us, too," said Chester. 
" I thought we were to hear about a full-blooded Hawaiian 
girl ; but it seems this one was a half-breed." 

" Pshaw ! " exclaimed Eugene, impatiently, " there was 
no good reason for the surmise that the girl who im- 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 619 

pressed him so deeply was a half-breed ; because, as the 
Professor has already told us, and, for that matter, as we 
know well enough from our own observation, the natives 
of the better class are much fairer than those of lower 
rank, and are scarcely so dark as the white people of our 
southern States." 

" Well, we '11 agree that she was a full-blooded native. 
And now, Professor, about their dress." 

"The dress of the Hawaiian women," said the Pro- 
fessor, " is very similar to that of the Tahitians, though, 
in some districts, it is more like that of the Tongans, 
when it consists essentially of a wrapper of bark cloth 
passing round the waist and falling below the knees. It 
is often arranged so that the end may be thrown over the 
shoulders, and many of the better class of women have a 
separate piece of cloth which is used as a mantle. When 
young, as in the Tonga and other groups, they wear no 
clothing at all." 

" Are they fond of ornaments ? " 

" Yes, though they never perforate their ears, nor even 
think of wearing trinkets in them. They have a sort of 
necklace made of black cord, doubled many times, and 
supporting some trifle made of wood, shell, or bone. They 
also wear necklaces of small shells strung together, and 
very pretty ones made of dried flowers. Bracelets, too, 
of various kinds, are highly valued by them, and are worn 
with great satisfaction." 

" They are fond of pets, of course ? " suggested Eugene. 

" Yes, like many of the other Polynesians, they have 
an aljsurd liking for pigs and dogs, carrying them about 
and feeding them when young, as if they were children. 
Even when the animals have attained their full growth, 
they are petted to a wonderful degree. Eugene's friend, 
■the ' Haold,' gives an amusing example of the extreme 
tenderness with which the Hawaiian girls regard these 



620 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

animals. He was making an excursion through one of 
the islands, when he observed a group of girls sitting in 
the shade of a pandanus tree, surrounding something in 
which they seemed greatly interested. On drawing near, 
he found that the object of their attention was an enor- 
mous hog. The girls were taking it to market, a task 
which usually devolves upon them, and had to drive the 
animal for a considerable distance over lofty mountains, 
an undertaking which could not occupy them less than 
thirty-six hours. To produce the hog in good condition 
was evidently their principal object, and they would there- 
fore hurry it as little as possible, coax it along, rather 
than drive it, by day, and sleep by its side at night. It 
so happened that the day was an extremely warm one, 
and the hog, which was in very good condition, was op- 
■ pressed with its own fat, with the heat and the fatigue of 
the journey. Accordingly, the girls had led their charge 
to a shady spot, taken off the'r own garments, soaked 
them in water, and spread them over the panting animal, 
which uttered occasional grunts of satisfaction at the 
coolness caused by the wet clothes, and the continual fan- 
ning which the girls kept up with broad leaves." 

" The women are industrious and hospitable, I have 
heard," remarked Chester. 

"Yes, they do their share of the work, and are kind to 
strangers. The cooking, for instance, is entirely their 
business, and they are as great adepts at procuring as at 
cooking food. For example, if a stranger should call at 
the house of a native, the wife is sure to come out, pass 
her hand over him, and inquire whether he is hungry. 
Should he reply in the affirmative, she, or perhaps her 
daughter, runs out to one of the fish-ponds, launches a 
small canoe, and, in a very short space of time, has 
caught some fish, broiled them, cooked some taro, and 
laid them on plantain leaves before the guest." 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



621 



" I have read of their fish-ponds," said Chester. 

" They are very common in Hawaii," returned the Pro- 




HAWAIIAN GIRLS AND PIG. 



fessor, " and are mostly made by the women, but they 
are usually stocked by the men." 



622 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

" You have mentioned poi several times," said Eugene, 
" and I know it is a sort of porridge ; but what is it 
made of ? " 

" It is made of a root called kalo, of which there are 
several species ; but I cannot fully answer your question 
better than in the words of Cheever. ' The natives,' he 
saysj ' do not allow the name of ai, or food, to anything 
but kalo, of which they are extravagantly fond. This 
root is the arum esculentum of botanists, or the plant 
commonly known as the wild Indian turnip. As found 
and cultivated at the Hawaiian Islands, it is highly nutri- 
tious, mealy, and wholesome. It is of two kinds, the wet 
and dry kalo, the former grown always imder water, 
which, when there is a brook, is let into a series of square 
beds or plats, sunk two or four feet below their borders, 
and let out again at one corner, when it has risen so as 
to cover all the plants, thus keeping a run of water through 
all the patches. It is estimated that forty square feet so 
cultivated will support a man. The root is eleven months 
gaining its full size. The natives then pull it, cut off the 
tops, and reserve them for planting, and bake the root in 
stone ovelis made in the ground. They then peel it with 
a shell, and pound it with a stone pestle in large, fiat, 
wooden trays, that may correspond to the kneading- 
troughs of the ancient Israelites as an article of house- 
hold furniture. 

" ' If it is to be kept for some time or carried away, it 
is then done up very neatly in bundles of forty and fifty 
pounds, made of the long leaves of a species of the aloe, 
and called JioloaL If to be immediately used for food, it 
is mixed with a little water in a calabash, or large gourd, 
from the size of a bushel to that of a peck, and set away 
to ferment. By that process it becomes a slightly acid 
and pasty food, of a bluish white color, called poi, which 
no Hawaiian would exchange for the best turtle soup or 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 623 

macaroni. You will see a jDarty squatting around a cala- 
bash, and dipping successively their forefingers into the 
pasty mass, and then, with certain dexterous manoeuvres, 
which a Hawaiian only knows, bring the poi-laden finger 
to a junction with the lips, with a smack of hearty satis- 
faction, such as no gourmand or toper could equal after a 
dram of Rhenish or best Madeira.' " * 

" Do foreigners make use of the root ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes, they boil or bake it, like a potato." 

" Well, for my part, I think I 'd like to sit in a circle 
round a porridge-pot, with half a dozen pretty Hawaiian 
girls for companions," mused Eugene. 

" Does n't Cheever rather intimate that beauty of form 
and feature, as well as high physical health, among the 
Hawaiians, is a thing of the past ? " asked the Captain. 

" I think I remember the passage you refer to," replied 
the Professor. " He says, ' The human constitution, it is 
evident, had attained to great perfection in the Sandwich 
Islands, and, their barbarism and sensuality to the con- 
trary, notwithstanding, there was high physical health 
and beauty before it was poisoned and marred by the 
mixture of abandoned foreigners, and the fresh provoca- 
tives to profligacy thereby given. The reverse is now 
painfully true, for disease is rife, and there is evidence of 
fatal, we fear irremediable, detriment having been done 
to the native constitution. Still,' he adds, ' the physical 
aspect of Hawaiians, as a race, is pleasing.' " 

" You see, Eugene," said the Captain, in an admonitory 
tone " you must not set your expectations too high. The 
Hawaiian ladies are rather dull, at the best, and I fear it 
will require the vivid imagination of a ' Haole ' to find a 
beauty such as he describes." 

" The United Service does n't agree with you at all," 

* See illustration, " Hawaiian Island Women," page 615. 



624 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

observed Chester, quietly. " In a recent number, a writer 
says : 

" ' The Hawaiian lady, in her loose, long gown (Jiolakii), 
is a voluptuous, good-humored, merry-making creature, of 
a fascinating figure, and longing, languishing, admiration- 
seeking, yet demure cast of face, with envial)le advan- 
tages in the line of lips, teeth, eyes, hair, form, and color ; 
for the chestnut skin, with crimson lustre of cheek, is by 
no means unbecoming or unattractive. She has the abil- 
ity and inclination, as well as her ruder companion, of 
descrying the laughable, ludicrous side of a subject, crack- 
ing a sly joke thereat, at the eost of creating an enemy of 
her own sex and a different race thereliy. With Mongo- 
lian arrow she will hit the queer Caucasian. She must 
let fly that little pheasant-feathered shaft, not lacking in 
keen satire and mischievous point, to the conscious cha- 
grin and furious indignation of her invitingly vulnerable 
foreign sister (^Hadle^, who shrcAvdly suspects that the 
other is entirely too agreeable in the sight of the staring 
gentleman who accompanies her on her curious or chari- 
table tour of island inspection. European education has 
greatly improved and instructed the gentler sex of Ha- 
waii, no doubt, but it must be admitted that it has sig- 
nally failed to curb the exuberance of their spirits, to 
tame the impetuosity of their sentiment, or to convert 
them into straight-laced models of propriety, they whose 
natures are as boisterous as the bounding billows of their 
sea-swept reefs. The enjoyment of fun and frolic is 
essential to their happiness, for they have a genuine love 
of the bright side of life.' " 

" That sounds well," exclaimed Eugene, " and I am in 
favor of giving the writer a vote of thanks." 

" Whatever the natives are to-day," said Chester, " I 
suppose there is no doubt that at one time they were a 
superior people. I wish it were possible to know their 
history." 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



625 



" I fear it is not possible," rejoined the Professor ; "but 
we can. get a hint of it in their ancient weapons, tools, 
and articles of .dress. Some of their weapons you may 
have seen in the collection of the Historical Society at 
New Haven ; but an article which to me has been, ai^ource 
of much speculation is the head-dress of the chiefs. If is 
of so graceful and classical a form as absolutely to startle 
the spectator. It is a helmet made of wicker-work and 
covered with feathers, the shape being exactly that of the 
ancient Grecian 
helmet, even to the 
elevated crest 
which runs over 
the top. It was 
not intended as a 
protection for the 
head, the material 
being too fragile 
for such a pur- 
pose, but simply 
as a mark of rank 
and wealth. Usu- 
ally they were cov- 
ered with scarlet 
and yellow feath- 
ers, disposed in 
bold bands or 
belts, and the 
wealth of the 
wearer might be known by the proportion which the yel- 
low and scarlet feathers bore to each other." 

" I hope we shall have a chance to see one of those 
helmets and many other curiosities," said Chester. 

"There's one thing I look forward to with a great 
deal of interest," observed Eugene, after a moment's 
pause, " and that is the sight of a volcano in action." 




HELMET. 



626 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

"You arc thinking of Kilauca, I suppose ?" said liis 
brother. 

" Of course," Avas the reply. 

" Then I fear you will be disappointed." 

" What do you mean ? " asked Eugene, quickly. 

" Kilauea has become extinct." 

" I don't believe it. The thing 's impossible." 

" Read that, then. I clipped it from a newspaper the 
consul at Fiji gave me." 

Eugene took the clipping, and read : 

" ' Recent advices from the "Hawaiian Islands to the 
effect that there 'was no more fire in the crater of Kil- 
auea,*if true, means that the largest active volcano on the 
planet has been snuffed out. The new lake of molten lava of 
Hale-mau-mau, which is mentioned as having disappeared, 
has not been in -existence many years, and the period of 
volcanic activity and earthquakes which accompanied its 
formation immediately preceded the last great eruption 
from the neighboring crater on the summit of Mauna Loa 
in November of 1880. 

""The island of Hawaii, which is the southmost of the 
Hawaiian group, is in the form of two great twin peaks, 
Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, each of which rises to an 
elevation of nearly 14,000 feet. On the summit of Mauna 
Loa is a crater which is intermittently active. On the 
slope of Mauna Loa is the crater of Kilauea (Lake 
of Fire), which is referred to in the dispatch. Kil- 
auea is unique among the volcanoes of the world. It 
is situated in a great pit in the side of Mauna Loa, 
1,200 feet deep and three miles in diameter, the walls 
of which are almost perpendicular, so that they can 
only be descended where zigzag pathways have been 
made. The lakes of fire which make up the volcano of 
Kilauea are in the southern end of the pit. There is at 
all times more or less volcanic activity in these pits, and 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 627 

they are constantly changing in form and position. In 
the ordinary condition of the volcano, people can descend 
the sides of the great pit, and walk over the floor to the 
lakes. The floor is black as coal, and so hot that it 
scorches shoe leather. There are great seams in it at 
intervals, from which issue steam and sulphurous smoke. 

" ' The shores of the lakes themselves arc high and steep. 
One can go close to the edge on the windward side, and, 
by holding a hat in front of the face, or wearing a mask^ 
peep over at the infernal ' bubbling which is going on in 
the abyss. The surface of the lakes, when quiet, is cov- 
ered with a thin "layer of black, newly hardened lava. 
The surface is never quiet long, nor over its whole extent. 
A pulsating mound makes its appearance at some point, 
and swells by slow degrees, until cracks appear running 
from the apex. The fiery molten lava appears welling 
up through these cracks ; the layer over the surface 
breaks into great cakes, and, tilting on edge, these cakes 
disappear and are swallowed up by the red liquid under- 
neath, which boils and bubbles and sputters in the vent 
it has found, throwing up spray, which is caught by the 
wind, and spun out as fine as silk. In this condition it is 
found in crevices of the lava on the banks, looking much 
like bunches of blond hair. The native Hawaiians term 
this stuff Pele's hair, Pele being the goddess supposed to 
inhabit tliis Hale-mau-mau (House of Everlasting Fire). 
Natives who visit the spot throw coins or edibles into the 
lake to appease the wrath of the goddess. The high 
banks of the lakes are constantly breaking off in great 
masses, and being swallowed up in the seething cauldron 
below. In periods of great activity the surface of the 
lakes rises and sometimes overflows the banks, when a 
long stream of lava creeps over the floor of the great pit, 
disposing itself in smooth folds, like giant taffy. 

" ' Kilauea is 4,000 feet above the sea level, and is 



628 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

about twenty miles from the crater on the summit of 
Mauna Loa, which is over 9,000 feet higher. Yet there 
seems to be some connection between the summit crater 
and the vent in the side of the mountain. During the 
summer months of 1880 there was great activity in 
Kilauea, and several severe earthquakes on the island of 
Hawaii. The new fire lake of Hale-mau-mau, which the 
telegraph says has disappeared, made its appearance dur- 
ing this period. One night in November of that year an 
eruption broke out on the summit of Mauna Loa with a 
loud explosion, and the streams of lava came pouring 
down the mountain side in floods. The country through 
which it came was wild, an impenetrable tropical forest. 
In the first nights after the eruption broke out, the stream 
could be seen from far out at sea, looking like a fiery ser- 
pent lying on the mountain side. As the months went 
on, the upper part of the stream cooled on the surface 
and crusted over, serving as a conduit to carry the liquid 
to the terminus of the flow, where it broke out and pushed 
its way more slowly. The flow of lava continued into 
the summer of 1881, when it stopped about a quarter of a 
mile from the little tropical town of Hilo, having eaten 
its way sixty miles through the forest, which was utterly 
swallowed up in its path. No such flow of lava had come 
from Mauna Loa since the great flow of 1859, which 
reached the sea. Two eruptions so closely following as 
that of 1880 and the one which seems to l)e foretold by 
the phenomena in Kilauea would be unprecedented.' " 

" That gives one a very good idea of Kilauea," remarked 
the Captain ; " but I should think the peo])le who live in 
the vicinity of those restless mountains would feel any- 
thing but comfortable just now." 

" They live in a state of extreme anxiety," returned 
the Professor ; " for there is no telling what may happen 
next. The lakes of fire have disappeared, but the people 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 631 

know better than to be satisfied. They are looking for a 
severe eruption from the volcano on the summit of' 
Mauna Loa ; for in all cases of sudden cessation in active 
craters, the presumption is in favor of a fresh outburst 
somewhere else ; but it is as likely to occur at a distance 
as in the vicinity." 

" Well, then," exclaimed Eugene, " if we don't see 
Kilauea in action, we may see an eruption from Mauna 
Loa." 

" Or possibly one in Japan, if your eccentric uncle leads 
us there," laughed the Captain. 

" All right," rejoined Eugene, " that would suit me 
quite as well." 

" There came near being a fearful tragedy when the 
fiery lake of Kilauea disappeared," said Chester, presently. 

" Why, what do you mean ? " asked his brother. 

" It seems that a party from Australia, wishing to see 
the eruption, descended at night into the crater, and 
walked a distance of three miles over lava, until they 
reached the burning lake. This was very active, and 
they sat for hours on the brink, watching the great sea 
of fire, which was three miles long by one and a half 
miles wide. The waves of fire were running very high, 
often one hundred feet, while eruptions were of frequent 
occurrence, throwing molten lava into the air hundreds 
of feet high, with a noise that was deafening. At length 
they retired, and a few hours later, this entire lava area, 
including miles around the lake, the very spot where they 
had sat down and passed hours, and the three miles of 
pathway across the lava beds upon which they walked, 
was completely destroyed, the whole having fallen in, and 
leaving an open crater, miles in extent, and apparently 
fathomless. This was followed by forty-three distinct 
shocks of earthquake, lasting for a period of fourteen 
hours." 



632 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

" That was a narrow escape," exclaimed Eugene. 

" Yes, and as one of the party says, ' they will all re- 
member for the rest of their days how near they came to 
a journey to the center of the earth.' " 

" I don't believe I care so much about volcanoes as I 
did," said Eugene, with a sliudder. " Please tell us 
something about Honolulu, Professor." 

" I don't know that there is much about the town to 
interest you," replied the Professor. " It is situated on 
Oahu, the fourth island in size, and contains, perhaps, 
18,000 or 20,000 inhabitants. It covers the lower portion 
of Nuuanu valley, and extends over the raised coral reef 
at the base of the lofty mountains for several miles. The 
houses are, for the most part, built of wood, though there 
are many of adobe, and a few constructed of coral blocks. 
They are seldom more than two stories high, with broad 
verandas, and are mostly surrounded • with trees. The 
city is the residence of the king and his government, and 
the center of the chief interests of the islands. There 
are several public buildings, including the parliament 
house and the palace, which is built of coral. There are 
six or seven churches, two hospitals, an academy, and 
numerous schools. The climate of the city and vicinity 
is remarkably mild and uniform, and the scenery in the 
neighborhood, as at Waikiki, where there are extensive 
cocoa and palm groves, and in the beautiful valleys of 
Nuuanu and Manoa, verdant with patches of Jcalo and 
other vegetation, is of the most charming tropical 
character." 

" You have n't said anything about the fish markets," 
suggested Chester. 

" Because I know very little about them," returned the 
Professor. " Perhaps you can give us some information 
on that head." 

" Well, here is a vivid picture from the Z^nited Service^ 
which, I think, is worthy of your attention. 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, 635 

" ' A visit,' says the writer, ' to the fish market of Hono- 
'lulu on a Saturday afternoon, winter or summer (for 
there are no seasons here, remember), is a sight seldom 
elsewhere to be met. Situated on the street lying beside 
the still surface of the bay, it seems as if the fish had 
only to be angled for with the fingers from the piers in 
order to be caught, cleaned, sold, cooked, and eaten. 
Every variety of fin afloat is to be seen in this market, 
preeminently the nutritious mullet. Fish-wives, fish-hus- 
bands, and fish-children barter the scaly merchandise 
from stalls or counters covered with fish and specie. No- 
where else that I know of could vendors leave in parallel 
piles upon their tables with impunity gold and silver 
coins, often amounting to scores of dollars. A good deal 
of chatting, joking, and bargaining accompany proceed- 
ings in this place of trade, the picturesque natives prepon- 
derating, both as buyers and sellers, while all around is 
life, noise, flutter, and business eagerness. The scene 
reminds one of the Neapolitan fish market in the square, 
where Masaniello organized his popular uprising and rev- 
olutionary revolt — that bold fisherman, king of but three 
days' reign. Fish is a favorite food of the Hawaiian at 
all times, which, with a bowl of j?oi, makes up his usual 
meal. Shell-fish, shrimp especially, are sold for salads 
a la mayonnaise, but there is no native edible oyster. 
The oyster of the Pacific, anywhere I have ever been, 
even on our California coast, in nowise equals our Atlan- 
tic Blue Points, Chesapeakes, or East River bivalves, 
either as regards size, flavor, or subsequent epicurean 
satisfaction.' " 

"That's about it," said the Captain, approvingly. 
" That gives you a very good idea of what you will see in 
Honolulu." 

" I wish we were there now," exclaimed Eugene, 
impatiently. 



636 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

" All in good time, my dear fellow," said the Captain. 
" The Alhatrois was never doing better than she is on 
this run." 

And, in truth, even before Eugene was prepared for it, 
the volcanic peaks of Hawaii became visible on the star- 
board quarter. 

A little later, thej' saw Kahoolawe, Molokini, and 
Maui, then Lania, on the port quarter, and at last dropped 
anchor in the harbor of Lahaina. 

Strictly speaking, there is no harbor here, the anchor- 
age being merely a roadstead, which protects the ship- 
ping from northerly gales. In case of a southeaster, 
however, vessels must put to sea or be driven on the reef. 
They found many ships at anchor, and among them the 
Captain was quick to single out the Unrest. 

As soon as the anchor was down, and they had got rid 
of the harbor-master, they paid a visit to the other yacht. 
They found Daniel Kirby in charge. He did not seem 
in the least surprised or disconcerted at sight of them. 
Captain " Thompson," he said, was on shore, and doubt- 
less could be found at his agent's. He cheerfully gave 
them the agent's name, and, hurrying into their boat, 
they were speedily pulled to the shore. 

The town of Lahaina is beautifully situated on the level 
land skirting the sea, and extends along the shore for a 
distance of more than two miles. Back from the water 
front it reaches to the foot of the mountains. The streets 
are lined with shade-trees on either side, which, in the 
hot weather, afford a cool and pleasant retreat. The 
reef extends the whole leiigth of the town, about forty 
rods, or so, from shore, and but for a small opening in it 
boats would be unable to land. Just in front of the land- 
ing is a large fort, built of coral blocks, yet it is not very 
formidable in its appearance. The site, however, is a 
most excellent one, as the whole shipping lies within its 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. . 637 

range. The main street runs nearly east and west, and 
on it are situated the stores, ojffices, and most of the resi- 
dences of the foreign population. 

The party from the Albatross soon found the establish- 
ment they were in search of, and the agent informed 
them that Captain " Thompson " had only just left him — 
"gone to the hotel," he said, and at once offered to accom- 
pany them thither. 

The hotel was a large and commodious building on the 
north side of the street, the front commanding a view of 
the shipping, and the sides and back surrounded by a 
beautiful grove, altogether as lovely a spot as one would 
wish to see. On entering, almost the first person they 
saw was Lyman Pierpont. The brothers recognized him 
at once, from his striking resemblance to their father. 
The agent was about to introduce them, but the impetu- 
ous Eugene was too quick for him. 

" Ah ! we have found you at last. Uncle Lyman," he 
exclaimed ; " and I really hope you are not sorry to see 
the sons of your brother Leonard." 

" Leonard's sons ! " repeated Lyman Pierpont, gazing 
earnestly at first one and then the other. " No, indeed, 
I am not sorry to see you — far from it. Come into the 
parlor, and let us get acquainted." 

" This is Professor Singleton, and this Captain Brad- 
ford of the Albatross," said Chester, presenting their 
friends. 

" I have heard of you both, gentlemen," smiled Mr. 
Pierpont, " and am very glad to make your acquaintance." 

The agent, seeing that his services were no longer re- 
quired, withdrew, and the others followed Lyman Pier- 
pont to the parlor. When they were seated, he abruptly 
said: 

" Of course, gentlemen, I have been aware that you 
were following me about the Pacific ; but I have been 
26 



6B8 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

laboring under a serious misapprehension, and so, until 
now, have kept out of your way. That misapprehension 
has at last been removed, and I wish to say no more 
about it. All that it is necessary for me to tell you is, 
that I am quite ready to meet you in any plan that is to 
benefit the old university at home, and at the same time 
adjust our own family affairs in accordance with my 
father's last wishes." 

This speech was a great relief to all his hearers, and, 
after a moment's pause, Eugene exclaimed : 

" But, uncle, we are not going to let you fix matters 
for us, and then quietly slip away again. Now that we 
have found you, we mean to keep you with us for a time, 
or we shall go with you, and so we give you fair warning." 

Lyman Pierpont looked pleased. 

" Your father, my dear boys," he said, " was my favor- 
ite at home, and I am glad to find you so like him. If 
you wish it, we will go to Honolulu together, where the 
papers you want can be properly made out, and then for- 
warded to the family lawyers, or to Mr. Worthington. 
Then, if I sell the Uomest, as I expect to, and you will 
take me to Kauai and Niihau for a day or so, I will 
accompany you home, provided you will go by way of 
China and the Indian Ocean, as I have some veiy im- 
portant business to transact at Amoy and Ilong Kong." 

The brothers cast anxious glances at the Captain. He 
answered them by saying : 

" Mr. Pierpont, we shall be too glad of your company 
to hesitate at any condition. The Albatross shall take 
you wherever you please." 

" Hurrah ! " shouted Eugene, throwing his hat to the 
ceiling, and catching it again. " That 's settled, thank 
goodness ! " 

" Well, then," smiled Mr. Pierpont, " that being set- 
tled, as Eugene says, let us have some dinner; and, 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 639 

meanwhile, I will send word to Kirby to take the Unrest 
to Honolulu." 

"And you will go with us in the Albatross 1^'' asked 
Eugene, eagerly. " 

" Certainly." 

And this arrangement was carried out. The Unrest 
started for Honolulu within an hour, and, a little later, 
the Albatross followed her. On the passage they had a 
magnificent view of Molokai, but the brothers were 
greatly disappointed by the appearance of Oahu. 

They were five days at Honolulu, during which time 
the Professor and the brothers saw much of the island. 
Meantime the Unrest was sold at a good profit to her 
owner, and then the Albatross steamed to Kauai. Here, 
and at the neighboring isles of Niihau and Lehua, they 
were detained for some days more, when, with a passhig 
glimpse of Naula, they steamed away for the far-off con- 
tinent of Asia. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



MICRONESIA. 



FOR some days the Albatross steamed on its westward 
course without the usual gatherings on the quarter- 
deck, the Professor being busy in his own state-room, and 
Lyman Pierpont having many private matters to attend 
to. But at length, toward the close of a sultry day, they 
were all in their old places, and the new-comer was pro- 
vided with a comfortable seat between his nephews. 

" Uncle Lyman," said Eugene, presently, " I take it for 
granted you have sailed these seas before." 

" Yes, many times," was the reply. 

" There are not many islands before we reach the 
vicinity of the Marshall group ? " 

" There are Mallon, Wilson, Johnson or Crane, Ann 
Ete, and Isle St. Pedro to the south, and Pollard, Maur- 
elle, and Massachusetts to the north." 

" There are one or two islands just north of the 
Marshalls?" 

" Yes, Dawson Island or islands and Cornwallis." 

" Can't you tell us a little something about the Mar- 
shall group, uncle?" asked Chester. 

" There is not much to speak of outside of the work of 
the missionaries, and the fact that Germany has recently 
annexed the islands." 

" Then the last is true ? " asked the Captain, quickly. 

" I was recently informed on good authority," said Mr. 
Pierpont, " that an agreement had been effected whereby 
Spain retains the Carolines, the Marianas, and the Palaos 

(640) 



MICKONESIA. 



641 




^ 










642 MICRONESIA. 

Islands, while Germany acquires the Marshall and Gilbert 
groups." 

" How do our missionaries feel about it ? " 

" Dr. Judson Smith, foreign secretary of the American 
Board, says the only detrimental effect resulting from the 
seizure will Ije the diversion of trade from the United 
States to Germany." 

" What was Germany's excuse for seizing the islands ?" 
asked Eugene. 

" The rather lame one tliat there are two German trad- 
ing stations on two of the Marshall Islands. As a mat- 
ter of right, however, she had no more reason for taking 
them than she has for taking Samoa." 

" No doubt it is a case of might making right," ob- 
served Chester ; " but, after all, it is better to have Pro- 
testant Germany to deal with than Catholic Spain." 

" That is exactly Avhat Dr. Smith and the missionaries 
think," returned his uncle. 

"There are two clusters or chains of the Marshalls, 
are there not ? " asked Eugene. 

"Yes, one is the Ralick, and the other the Radack 
chain. The whole covers quite an area, the outline of 
the archipelago running in a northwest and southeast 
direction. The population is about 14,000." 

"I suppose, now that Germany has the islands in her 
possession, she will hold on to them ? " 

" Their annexation by Germany settles the status of 
the Marshalls indefinitely, for they are hardly worth 
quarreling over, and the islanders are too weak to make 
any opposition to so great a poAvcr." 

" They are not a bad-looking people, I believe," said 
Chester. 

" On the whole, they are a rather fine race," returned 
his uncle, " taller than the generality of the Caroline 
Islanders, and possessing tolerably good features. They 



MICEONESIA. 



643 



use the tattoo with some profusion, both sexes being ad- 
dicted to it. They are better clothed than many Micro- 
nesians, the men wearing a short mat round their waists, 




MARSHALL ISLANDEES. 

and the women being clad in a very fine and neatly made 
mat, falling nearly to the feet. The hair has a tendency 
to curl, and is worn long by both sexes. Ear-rings are in 



644 MICRONESIA. 

great request, and some of them are enormously large. 
It is evident to me that the present inhabitants are not 
aborigines, but came from other islands at no very remote 
period. They have kept up the nautical spirit to which 
they owe their presence in the group, and make long voy- 
ages from one island to another. Their canoes are well 
made, and are built of bread-fruit wood." 

"I have felt a great interest in the Caroline Islands 
since Bismarck's attempt to gain possession of them," 
remarked the Captain. 

" They form a very extensive archipelago," observed 
the Professor. 

" Yes," assented Mr. Pierpont, " they occupy a consid- 
erable space in this broad ocean. They lie between the 
Philippines, the Ladrones, the Marshalls, and the Papuan 
Islands. They consist of several groups or clusters spread 
out from west to east, and measuring, between those 
extremes, about 2,000 miles, while from north to south 
they extend for a distance of not far from 300 miles. 
Five only of all the islands are high ground, namely : 
Kusaie, Ponap^, Ruk or Hogolu, Yap, and Pelew. The 
inhabitants are undoubtedly of mixed origin. ' On some 
of the islands,' says Mr. Logan, ' the people are woolly- 
haired ; many of them have faces decidedly Chinese or 
Japanese. The islands are much more widely scattered 
than those of the Marshall and Gilbert groups. Hence, 
while one language is spoken on all the islands of each 
of the latter groups, we already know of six different lan- 
guages in the Caroline archipelago ; and a more thorough 
exploration of the western portion will probably reveal 
one or two more. 

" ' In these islands we have specimens of every kind of 
coral reef. Kusaie has a fringing reef, only here and 
there detached from the shores. Ponap^ has a most 
beautiful specimen of the barrier reef, bemg entirely 



MICRONESIA. 645 

encircled by one which is separated from the island by 
from two to eight miles of water. Through this reef 
there are several passages, and, when once within, the 
largest vessels might sail two-thirds around the island in 
the calm waters of the lagoon. At Ruk, also, we have 
the barrier reef, nearly two hundred miles in circumfer- 
ence, while the island, to which it was probably once 
attached, has so far sunk beneath the waves that only the 
mountain-tops are left, forming numerous islands, from a 
few rods to five or six miles in diameter. Then there 
are the atolls, of all sizes and shapes, sometimes so large 
that one cannot see across from one side to the other. 

" ' These islands lie so near the equator that the days 
and nights are of nearly equal length throughout the 
year. The climate is equable, the variation of the ther- 
mometer being no more than fifteen degrees Fahrenheit — 
from seventy-two degrees to eighty-seven degrees. The 
rainfall is excessive, yet malarial disorders are practically 
unknown. 

" 'In the palmy days of the whale fishery, the harbors 
of Ponap^ and Kusaie were much frequented by whale- 
ships, and the influence upon the natives, from contact 
with this kind of civilization, was most demoralizing. 
Not a few runaway sailors and others made their homes 
among the natives, and vice, intemperance, and licentious- 
ness ran riot.' " 

" Still the islands have been pretty thoroughly Chris- 
tianized, have they not ? " asked Chester. 

" Kusaie has been reclaimed, but there is still left a 
large heathen party on Ponape. For ten years past, 
however, natives of Ponap^ have been doing missionary 
work on neighboring islands." 

" Opataia and his wife. Princess Opatinia, are among 
these native missionaries, I believe," said the Professor. 

" Yes, they are doing a noble -work on the jVEortlock 
26* 



6^6 



MICRONESIA. 



Islands. Opataia is a sincere, honest Christian, and his 
wife has long been an efficient teacher. 8he was a daugh- 
ter of King Hczekiah, born while he was a bloody chief- 
tain, and was one of the earlier ones, with him, to em- 
brace Christianity." 




PRINCESS OPATINIA. 



" The Mortlocks are not a very important chister ? " 
said Engene, inquiringly. 

" They lie about three hundred miles southwest-ward 
from Ponap^, and arc a subordinate group of three atolls. 
The population is about 3,500." 

" Ruk is well peopled ? " 



MICEONESIA. 647 

" The inhabitants of Riik number about 12,000. They 
are of two distinct races, and, until quite recently, were 
fierce and barbarous, ever at war among themselves, and 
merciless toward the white man. But that is all changed 
now ; the missionaries, within the past few years, have 
accomplished wonders among them. Their former bad 
reputation is the reason why so little has been known of 
the cluster, which is really one of the most important in 
size in the Caroline range. The houses are built on the 
summits of the hills, which, in itself, is an evidence of 
the predatory nature of the people." 

" There are, or have been, about as many governments 
in the Caroline archipelago as there are groups and 
islands," observed Captain Bradford, after a moment's 
pause. 

" That is true," said Mr. Pierpont. " There are proba- 
bly, even now, more government in the archipelago than 
can be found elsewhere over so small a population. Yap 
is, or has been, a constitutional kingdom, divided into 
sixty odd provinces, each locally self-governing. Kusaie 
is an absolute monarchy. Ponape is an oligarchy ruled 
by five princes. The other and smaller islands are des- 
potisms, constitutional monarchies, elective principalities, 
republics, communes, and so on, no two having just the 
same form of government. Of all the islands, perhaps 
Ponap^ is the most prosperous.." 

" But Yap is of considerable importance," said the 
Captain. 

" Yes, in both a political and commercial sense," re- 
turned Mr. Pierpont. " It is a cluster lying between the 
Matelotas and the Mackenzies, and consists of three prin- 
cipal islands, thickly inhabited by an energetic and indus- 
trious people, who cultivate large quantities of yams and 
sweet potatoes, tobacco, and some of the tropical fruits. 
Pigs are plentiful, and deer and goats abound. The dress 



648 MICRONESIA. 

of the Yap natives is somewhat like that of the Pelew 
islanders. Tattooing is practiced among them, the pat- 
terns and figures being very elaborate. Yap is one hun- 
dred and eighty miles from the Pelews, which group the 
Yapitcs visit frequently, for the sake of the spar which 
I they dig there, and of which they make their currency." 

" I see there is a little group or cluster called OuUeai," 
said Chester. 

" Yes, it is a group of low coral islands, almost sur- 
rounded by reefs. The natives are a fine, well-made 
race, of good features, light in color, and most harmless 
and inoffensive. These islands at one time have been 
thickly inhabited, and there are remains of piers, walls, 
and breakwaters, similar to those found on Kusaie and 
some of the Pelews. The dress of the natives consists of 
a species of fine mat, which they weave from the fiber of 
the pandanues. Cocoanuts and fish constitute their prin- 
cipal food." 

" The Evalouks are also low and of coral formation, 
are they not ? " asked Chester. 

" Yes," returned his uncle, " and produce only cocoa- 
nuts. The natives, whose bodies are closely tattooed all 
over, resemble the Oulleai people, and dress like them. 
Then the Nougouras are a small group of low coral is- 
lands about five miles in breadth. The people are said 
to be, without exception, the finest-looking in the Caro- 
line archipelago. There are only about one hundred and 
fifty inhabitants in the group. Of these people, a certain 
writer says : 

" ' They have some knowledge of the division of time 
and of days and years. They also have a form of reli- 
gion, and a temple in which are some rude carved images. 
The chief priest is never allowed to leave his house except 
on extraordinary occasions. The number of rats on these 
islands is almost beyond belief, and they are so tame that 



MICRONESIA. 



649 



when people are eating they come and sit round them, 
waiting for any morsels that may fall. The houses are 
built without sides, being merely roofed, and the supports 
are carefully smoothed down to prevent the rats climbing 
up and eating provisions which are stored away on shelves 
above. The chief personage on this group is always a 
woman, and the honor is hereditary.' He mentions the 
Greenwich group, which lies nearly on the equator, and 




CAEOLINE ISLANDEKS. 

' It consists of about thirty low coral islands, on 
most of which were plenty of cocoanut, palms, and bread- 
fruit trees. The people appear to be an entirely different 
race to any hitherto met with, the men being well built, 
but shorter than most of the other Caroline islanders. 
They wear their hair very short, use no description of 
ornament whatever, and are not tattooed. The women 
have their heads shaved close, and are dressed in mats. 



650 MldlONESIA. 

which they wear tied around tlicir waists. More consid- 
eration appeal's to lie shown to the women here than in 
most of the Pacific islands, and the people are hospitable.' " 

" The Pelew Islands are really a part of the Caroline 
archipelago, are they not ? " asked Eugene. 

"They are so classed by some geographers, while 
others make a separate group of them. At all events, 
they are a part of Micronesia, to which all the islands in 
this region belong." 

" They are quite an interesting group, I have been led 
to believe," remarked the Professor. 

" They are, indeed," assented Mr. Pierpont. " There 
are twenty-six principal islands, nearly encircled by a 
coral reef, and they cover an extent of about one hundred 
and ten by thirty miles. Babelthuap, the largest, is 
twenty-eight miles long and fourteen broad, and contains a 
mountain so high that the whole group may be seen from 
its summit. The Rwpak, a British schooner, paid a visit 
to this and other parts of Micronesia some time since, 
and a paper, written by Mr. Skinner, one of the owners, 
and from which I have before quoted, gives an interest- 
ing account of them. The writer, according to the Bos- 
ton Herald^ says : 

" ' The northern part of the Pelew Islands, from Corror 
upwards, is reported as moderately high, and could, with 
a more industrious class of inhabitants, be made very 
productive, as the soil is extremely fertile. The southern 
portion of the group, with the exception of the Pelewlew 
and Ngour, is uninhabited. The islands are, as a rule, 
small and of basaltic formation, densely covered with 
hard-wood trees, the cabbage palm, etc. Breadfruit and 
cocoanuts are plentiful among the Pelewlew people. The 
\ Pelew Islands produce tortoise and pearl shell, and trop- 
iical fruits grow in abundance. Tobacco of a superior 
quality is grown, and coffee could be easily cultivated. 



MICRONESIA. 651 

The staple food of the natives is taro, which is grown in 
the swampy or marshy hind, and the tending of which 
falls upon the women. Pigs and goats, introduced by 
British war ships many years ago, are plentiful in most 
parts of the group. The only indigenous animal is the 
rat. Dogs and cats are found, but were probably intro- 
duced by vessels from Manila, which came there to trade 
formerly. Two kinds of snakes, neither of which is venom- 
ous, are found here. There are also a few alligators, but 
these are found only in one portion of a large island 
called Babelthuap. Green pigeons are very plentiful, and 
a small species of the flying fox is found. The Pelew 
Islands are divided into several districts, each of which 
has its own ruler and staff of chiefs ; but, whatever may 
have been the case in former times, they have now very 
little authority. The succession of chiefs does not appear 
to be regulated by any fixed rule, but the most wealthy 
are found to attain the highest positions. There are cer- 
tain families which claim to be noble, but their nobility 
procures them no privilege beyond the bare title, and they 
have to do their share of work and pay their proportion 
of the expenses that fall upon the community of which 
they are members. Polygamy is practiced, but to a small 
extent. Should a man have more than one wife, separate 
establishments are kept for each. The Pelew islanders 
have but a vague idea of a future state, for they believe 
that only those men who have been chiefs will be admitted 
to it. Every tribe has its own god, to whoiu all questions 
of moment are referred, the medium of communication in 
nearly every case being a woman known as the " Kaleeth," 
or god's wife. These women, by a rude sort of ventrilo- 
quism, manage to deceive the people, and have a great 
deal of influence in their councils. The natives have a 
currency among themselves of which they are very jeal- 
ous, and foreigners can rarely procure specimens of it. 



fUL^-K_ 



t.5 



( S ' MICRONESIA. 652 

ery, great license being' alhnved on such occasions. The 
men all wear the tappa, or loin clotli, common to the 
whole of the Pacific islands, red and blue cloth being 
most esteemed. The women wear a kind of apron, made 
of various leaves: and grasses, principally from the pan- 
danus or screw pine, dried and shredded out. Some of 
the principal families have the privilege of dyeing the 
dresses of the women of various colors. This privilege 
is much esteemed, and encroachments on it are punished 
with a fine. All the people are tattooed on the hands, 
arms, and legs, and a rude system of heraldry may be 
traced in this and in the decoration of the canoes of the 
chiefs and principal people. Wars, so called, are fre- 
quent, and a settled enmity exists between the natives of 
the northern and southern portions of the group. In 
former times the spear was the only offensive weapon, 
but of late years the natives have been supplied wilh fire- 
arms, and generally show considerable skill in their use. 
The Pelews are sparsely inhabited by a race of less stature 
than the other Caroline Islands, with the exception of the 
islands of Yap, which have become celebrated in the late 
controversy between Germany and Spain as the scene of 
the act of taking possession by German marines on be- 
half of their government. The Pelews are also darker in 
color, although occasionally some of light color are found 
among them, principally among the better class. The 
men are lazy, and do little else than fish, lca^■ing the cul- 
tivation of the taro to the women ; and it is noteworthy 
that the women attached to the " big houses " are not 
allowed to work in the taro grounds. Great care is 
taken of the children, of whom, however, there are very 
' few. At the age of thirty or thirty-five years the people 
begin to look old, and it is rare to find man or woman 
above the age of fifty. 

" ' There are several half-breeds on the islands, descend- 



653 MICRONESIA. / (^ 

It consists of heads of various descriptions, and of which 
no account as to their manufacture, nor of the origin of 
the material of which they are composed can be found, 
and the only way in which the natives account for them 
is that they came from the heavens. The most probable 
conjecture is that they were brought by the Ara,bs, who 
are supposed to have traded with the islanders in days 
gone by. The whole of the Pacific Islands, we are told, 
are being gradually depopulated. In the Pelews, the 
principal cause at work is an epidemic which takes the 
form of a species of influenza. This, or a modification of 
it, appears from time to time throughout the Caroline 
group, and sometimes attacks the Europeans living on 
the islands. In the Pelews and Uap — an island close to 
the Pelews, and known as Pillula Kap — there are insti- 
tutions known to Europeans as " big houses," which are 
also potent adjuncts of depopulation. The primary object 
of these houses is to keep the fighting men together in 
the event of an attack being made on the village during 
the night, which is the time usually chosen by these peo- 
ple for making raids upon each other. They are, how- 
ever, merely brothels, the inmates being, as a rule, those 
taken prisoners in the wars, those hired from other towns, 
and women who have left their husbands. There are 
many customs regulating these houses and their inmates 
which are unintelligible to Europeans, and on occasions 
all woihen, even of the highest class, have- to spend some 
time in them. As a natural consequence, there are but 
few people married. Of the married women, it may be 
safely said that not two in five bear children. Two or 
three children are considered a large family. In com- 
mon with most Pacific islanders, these people have sol- 
emn dances, generally at the conclusion of a war or 
feasts ; and there are also dances in which women alone 
perform, but they are rare, and usually scenes of debauch- 



6.54 MICRONESIA. 

ants of European sailors and others, avIio have taken np 
their abode thereon. There are also descendants of white 
women and natives on the group, though no accounts of 
how the women got there are extant ; but as the natives 
are known to have attacked several ships about sixty 
or seventy 3'ears ago, the women were probably taken 
from some captured vessel. The villages are, almost 
without exception, built at a short distance from the sea, 
the houses being neatly constructed some two or three 
feet from the ground, the roofs of which are thatched 
with grass and the leaves of the pandanus. In front of 
leacli house are seen the graves of deceased members of 
the family. The houses go with the titles, each chief in 
succession occupying the residence of his predecessor. 
In the center of the villages there are paved squares in 
which consultations take place and dances are performed. 
There are paved roads through every village of the group, 
and when repairs are needed they are done by the com- 
munity, any person absenting himself being fined. In 
front of every village of importance are large sea walls 
or piers built out on to the reefs, and some of these are 
apparently very ancient. That at Corror, the most im- 
portant of the towns, is very substantially built of stone 
and coral, and is about a quarter of a mile long. The 
"'big houses" arc substantially built of hard wood, and 
well thatched, and are from sixty to seventy feet long, 
and from twelvfe to fifteen wide. In these buildings the 
cross-beams and supports are rudely carved in relief, 
which carvings record the history of the people, and pur- 
port to chronicle any remarkable occurrence ; but there 
are, however, but few of the natives who can explain 
them. The language of the Pclcws is idiomatic and ap- 
parently difficult of acquirement by Europeans. A suffi- 
cient knowledge for trading purposes is, however, soon 
obtained. 



MICRONESIA, 



655 



" ' The Matelotas,' lie goes on to say, ' are a group 
of islands to the eastward and northward of the Pelews, 




but to the southward of Yap. They are also known as 
the Gulus, and are inhabited by a few light-complexiojied 



656 ' MICRONESIA. 

people rescniljlliig the other Caroline Islanders. This 
and the Mackenzie group were all but swept away some 
sixteen or seventeen years ago by a severe cyclone, which 
destroyed nearly the whole of the cocoanut palms, the 
fruit of which, with fish, is the only food of the natives. 
The Mackenzie group is sparsely peopled by a light-col- 
ored race. On one of these islands the Jesuit father, 
Cantova, was killed, and the few natives remaining still 
look for his return, thinking he will restore the islands 
to their original state.' " 

" That description gives one a very good idea of the 
people of Micronesia," said the Professor, approvingly. 

" They are a strange lot," mused Eugene. Then, sud- 
denly : "»Uncle,-did you ever visit the Solomon Islands ? " 

" Yes, on one occasion," was the reply. 

" We have heard some fearful stories about the island- 
ers ; and yet, I am told, their architecture is very good." 

" In Makira Bay, Christoval Isles," rejoined Mr. Pier- 
pont, " I saw some very ingenious houses which the na- 
tives had Ijuilt for the protection of their canoes. These 
houses are capable of accommodating a considerable num- 
ber of the l^eautifully carved craft, and are elaborately 
adorned, after the native fashion, with idols, human 
skulls, tufts of feathers, and similar ornaments." 

" The Ladrones have been in the possession of Spain 
for a great many years," remarked Chester, after a pause. 

" Yes," said his uncle, " for more than two centuries." 

"*They were -discovered by Magellan ?" 

"Yes, shortly before his death in 1521, and he named 
them Ladrones, from the thievish disposition of their 
inhabitants." 

"Is it -an important group?" asked Eugene. 

"There arc some twenty-odd islands," replied Mr. 
Pierpont, " and the popidaiion is between 10,000 .and 
12,000." 



MICRONESIA. 



657 



" I thought it was much greater." 
" When the SjDanish missionaries established them- 
selves on the islands, toward the end of the seventeenth 




11 < 



century, the natives numbered more than 40,000 ; but 
they have totally disappeared, and the present inhabitants 
are mostly the descendants of settlers from Mexico and 



658 MICRONESIA. 

the Philippines, veiy few Spaniards, even, remaining. 
The islands arc of volcanic formation, extremely rugged, 
and in some places barren and waste. In the fertile 
parts, however, they produce cotton, sugar, rice, indigo, 
cocoa, corn, tobacco, and nearly every species of inter- 
tropical products." 

" They are well watered, then," said the Professor. 

" Yes, and can boast of some fine forests." 

" Are they well supplied with, animals ? " asked Eugene. 

" Wild hogs, llamas, horses, and cattle are numerous," 
said his uncle, " the first named animal attaining a great 
size, and proving a most formidable foe to the hunter." 

" The climate is very fine, is it not ? " asked the 
Professor. 

"It is, indeed," returned Mr, Pierpont, "the heat being 
tempered by the trade winds." 

" What are the principal islands ? " asked Eugene. 

" They are Guahan, Rota, Aguijan, Saypan, and Tinian." 

" There are some wonderful ruins on Tinian," observed 
the Professor. 

" Yes ; they were discovered by Lord Anson, in 1742." 

" There are several volcanoes in the group, I believe," 
said Chester. 

"Those on Asuncion and Pagon, in the north, are well 
known," rejoined his uncle. 

" The seat of government is at San Ignacio de Agana, 
is it not?" asked the Captain. 

" It is," was the reply, " on the island of Guahan, the 
most southerly of the group." 

" Pearls are found among the islands, I have seen it 
stated," said Chester. 

" There is quite an extensive pearl fishery on the coast 
of Saypan," said his uncle, " and many are secured 
elsewhere." 

" This group of islands has one or two other names, 
has it not ? " asked Euuene. 



MICRONESIA. 659 

" Yes, it was named Mariana, in honor of a Spanish 
queen ; and years ago the group was called the Lazarus 
Islands." 

" They ought to stick to Mariana," said Chester ; " for 
there are at least two other groups called Ladrones." 

" Where are they ? " asked his brother. 




HEAD-DEESS. 

" One is in China, at the entrance to the bay of Canton, 
and has long been the resort of pirates ; the other is in 
this ocean, about ten miles off the coast of Colombia." 

At this point the conversation was broken off, and, 
owing to a protracted storm which arose during the 
night, was not resumed for many days. At length, when 
they had reached the vicinity of the Bonin Islands, the 



660 MICRONESIA. 

Captain resolved to call there, and the next morning the 
yacht came to anchor in Port Lloyd, on Peel Island. 

The passengers, accompanied by the Captain, Mr. Mor- 
gan, and several sailors, made an excursion through the 
loveliest of these most delightful islands, and, two days 
later, they sailed for the Loo Choo group. 

Here they remained a week, going pretty much over 
the same ground traversed by the party from Perry's 
expedition in 1854, and enjoying themselves hugely. 

" I had hoped to talte you to Japan while we were in 
this part of the nvorld," remarked the Captain, as they 
were resting in the shade of a noble banyan, on the 
morning of the last day of their stay on shore ; " but, 
alas ! we shall have to forego that pleasure for this time, 
and make the most of our next place of call." 

" And where will that be ? " asked Eugene. 

" The port of Amoy in China," was the reply. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 

AT daylight, the next morning, the yacht's course 
was laid for Amoy ; and, in due time, after pass- 
ing the Madjico Sima Islands, and the Taiysu and Hoa- 
pinsu clusters, they rounded the north end of Formosa, 
and entered the Formosa Channel. 

Formosa is a large and important island in the China 
Sea, being separated from the coast of China by a broad 
channel. The island contains 15,000 square miles of sur- 
face, and a population of 2,000,000. It is rich in minerals, 
gold, silver, mercury, coal, and some copper being fomid. 
The soil is extremely fertile, and yields abundantly all 
the ordinary crops, with sugar-canes, tobacco, spices, and 
some dye and medicinal woods. The exports are rice 
and camphor, chiefly ; the imports, silk and most Euro- 
pean and American manufactured goods. The Dutch 
early made a settlement on the island, but suffered much 
from Malays and pirates ; and it was not till the end of 
the last century that it became, to any great extent, sub- 
ject to Chinese rule. The eastern and mountainous por- 
tion is inhabited by a warlike race of copper-colored bar- 
barians, of whom the Chinese are in great dread, and 
with whom they are almost constantly at war. They are 
probably of Malay extraction, wear their hair long, have 
rings in their ears, and are clothed only with a piece of 
cloth about their loins. They dwell in bamboo cottages, 
raised on terraces about four feet high. 

It was late in the afternoon when our friends on board 
27 (663) 



664 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 



the Albatross first caught a glimpse of Formosa ; and it 
was not until the next morning that they entered the 
harbor of Amoy, and were landed in the city, which is 
situated on an island of the same name, in the province 
of Fokien, and about opposite the center of Formosa. 

The city is built upon rising ground, facing the harbor, 
which is an excellent one. It contains many large build- 
ings, and formerly had several considerable forts, one of 
them not less than 1,100 yards long. It is estimated to 

be nearly nine miles 
in circumference. — 
The population is a 
little more than 
250,000, chiefly em- 
ployed in trade. The 
merchants of Amoy 
are reckoned among 
the most enterpris- 
ing in China. The 
port was opened to 
the world till 1734, 
when it was closed. 
It was captured by 
the British in 1841, 
and by the treaty of 
Nanking was thrown 
open, first to the 
British, then to 
other nations. The 
native merchants carry on an extensive trade along the 
coast, and with Formosa, Manila, Siam, and the Malay 
Islands. The foreign imports are of immense value, and 
the exports are very heavy. There is a mission of the 
Reformed Church of America at Amoy, and other mis- 
sions are established there. 




CHINESE OF FORMOSA. 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 665 

Mr. Pierpont's business detained the yacht in this port 
for about two days, during which time the Professor and 
the brothers had an opportunity for exploring the city 
and island, after which they departed for Victoria, on the 
island of Hong-Kong. Here they were detained for two 
days more, and then the Albatross was headed for 
Singapore. 

Soon they had the Philippines on their larboard quar- 
ter, and Eugene, when a fitting opportunity offered, asked 
his uncle regarding them. 

" They form a large and important archipelago," said 
Mr. Pierpont, " consisting of about 1,200 islands, without 
including the Babuyan and Bashee Islands on the north, 
or the Sooloo archipelago on the south. Magellan dis- 
covered this group in 1521, but it was not till the year 
1565 that they were taken possession of by the Spanish. 
The principal islands are Luconia, Mindanao, Panay, 
Palawan, and others. Together the islands embrace an 
area of 120,000 square miles. Their discoverer was killed 
here in 1521, after having named them for Philip II. of 
Spain. The population is now 7,451,352, and is made up 
of mixed races, consisting of Europeans, natives, negroes, 
half-casts, and Chinese." 

" A fearfully destructive typhoon swept over the islands 
on the 7th of last November," remarked the Professor. 
" Many human lives were lost, hundreds of cattle per- 
ished, and thousands of buildings, including churches and 
convents, were destroyed." 

" Yes," said Mr. Pierpont, " the typhoons are terrible 
in these seas ; but the recuperative powers of the islands 
are wonderful, and^ in a marvel ously short time after a 
hurricane, all signs of the ruin it has wrought have dis- 
appeared, and all is as if it had never been." 

" As you have visited the Philippines, uncle, perhaps 
you have also been upon the neighboring island of Bor- 
neo ? " said Eugene, in an inquiring tone. 



666 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 




AMOY. 



"Yes, I 
have seen 
something of 
that vast 
island," re- 
plied Mr. 
P i e r p n t ; 
" and it is not 
too much to 
say that, even 
if I had spent 
years upon 
its shores, I 
could still 
have found 
much to in- 
terest me, and 
excite my 
wonder and 
admiration." 

"Next to 
Australia, it 
is the largest 
island in the 
world, is it 
not?" asked 
Eugene. 

"With the 
possible ex- 
ception of 
Papua, it is," 
was the reply. 
"Its greatest 
length is 850 
miles, hy a 
width, ex* 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 667 

cepting toward the north, of 680 miles, and it has a 
surface area of nearly 300,000 square miles." 

" The coast of this great island," continued Mr. Pier- 
pont, "is almost everywhere beset by vast reefs and low 
islets. Though mountainous in many places, especially 
toward the north, the general aspect of the land is that 
of low marshy plains, covered with interminable forests 
of mangroves, and other dense woods ; and though we 
know the interior contains high regions and lofty moun- 
tains, from whence the numerous rivers descend, as yet 
our knowledge is imperfect on this point. The ranges of 
which we have positive information rise from 2,050 feet 
to 13,698 feet in height, the eminence of Kina-Balu giving 
the last measurement. 

" The climate is remarkably salubrious for an equato- 
rial island. The vegetation is rich, luxuriant, and varied. 
The most striking productions are the wonderful pitcher 
plants, which here attain their highest development in 
form and color. They grow on the mountains, and vary 
greatly in size and appearance. The pitcher of one spe- 
cies wil] hold two quarts of water. There are fully one 
hundred species of ferns on the island, and many varie- 
ties of the orchid. Perhaps the finest fruit in the world 
is furnished by the durion tree. A spiny oval mass con- 
tains the fruit, in the form of a cream-colored pulp. 
Other fruit trees are very abundant. 

" Three nations of people, irrespective of the Euro- 
peans, who now claim possession of a large portion of the 
soil, are inhabitants of Borneo, — the Chinese, the Ma- 
lays, and the Dyaks ; the first are, hoAvever, rather visit- 
ors than possessors. The Malays are conquerors, who, 
crossing from Sumatra and the peninsula, four or more 
centuries ago, have established themselves in the coun- 
try by force of arms, their possessions lying, however, 
only along the shore. The whole of the interior is in the 



6j8 the china sea and INDIAN OCEAN. 

possession of the aborigines, the Dyaks, of whom there 
arc several tribes, the Biajow, the Kajan, and Marat being 
the most important. 

" Sarawak, a large district or state on the northwest 
coast, is now under an English ruler, and, by the acquisi- 
tion of Labuan as a colony, British influence is para- 
mount in this part of the island." 

"From what I have heard of them," said Chester, "I 
think that the Dyaks must be an interesting people." 

" They are so," returned his uncle, " especially the Sea 
Dyaks." 

" Then there are both Sea and Land Dyaks ?" 
- ' " Yes ; there are some nine or ten branches of the lat- 
ter, each of which is divided into a considerable number 
of tribes. These people are continually shifting their 
quarters, in search of new lands for cultivation ; and the 
result is that they quarrel with each other, fight, are dis- 
persed, and thus form new tribes in the localities where 
they settle. But they seldom venture to sea, either for 
piracy or trade, and, in this respect, are very different 
from the Sea Dyaks, whose existence is essentially a nau- 
tical one. . 

" The Sea Dyaks are a fairer, a finer, and a more inter- 
esting people than those of the land ; they are also about 
three times as numerous. They are preeminently a na- 
tion of rovers, and, until quite recently, lived by piracy, 
and carried out to the fullest extent the abominable prac- 
tice of head-hunting." 

" I have heard a great deal of their peculiar hunting 
expeditions," said Eugene ; " but what they wanted a 
collection of heads for was more than I could make out." 

" They secured the heads under the belief that every 
person decapitated would become the slave of the hunter 
in the next world," explained his uncle. 

" Gracious ! what an idea. And yet you say they are 
a much finer race than the Land Dyaks ? " 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 671 

" They are taller and much fairer in complexion. The 
skin of the Land Dyak is brown, whereas that of the Sea 
Dyak is many shades lighter, and resembles the color of 
new leather — a hue which admirably suits the well-de- 
veloped forms of these people. They are very proud of 
their complexion, and the women are fond of an excuse 
for throwing off the jackets which they usually wear, in 
order to exhibit their smooth, satiny skins, polished and 
shining, as if of new bronze. 

" The ordinary dress of the men is simple enough, con- 
sisting merely of the chawat, or slight strip of cloth, 
which is twisted round the loins in such a manner that 
one end falls in front, and the other behind. . The chawat 
is often very gayly colored. Sometimes they wear a 
sarong, or short petticoat of cotton cloth, which reaches 
from the waist to a little above the knees. Young men 
who can afford the expense wear many ornaments. From 
the elbow downward, both arms are covered with rings 
of brass, and above the joint are usually two broad arm- 
lets of snowy shells, which contrast admirably with the 
yellow-brown skin. 

" The women dress somewhat like the men ; but, in- 
stead of the sarong, they generally wear a rather longer 
petticoat, called a hedang. When obliged to go out in 
the sun, they wear a jacket, without sleeves and open in 
front ; but as this hides the glossy "brown skin on which 
they so pride themselves, they lay it aside when in the 
house. In youth they are remarkable for their slender 
and graceful forms and attractive faces. But, alas ! 
after a female has passed the age of twenty, she begins to 
deteriorate, and at thirty is an old woman. Nowhere in 
all my wanderings have I seen a face more pleasing in 
expression than among the young Dyak girls. The eyes 
are black, clear, and expressive, and the lashes singularly 
long. Their chief point of beauty, however, is their hair, 



672 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 



which is black, wonderfully thick and shining, and so 
long that when allowed to flow down the back, it nearly 
touches the ground. Of this they are inordinately vain, 
and, when engaged in conversation, are fond of flinging 
their shining tresses from side to side by coquettish 
tossings of the head. Unfortunately, the fever, which 
is so prevalent in many parts of the island, causes the 

hair to fall off, so 
that many a young 
girl is thus deprived 
of her chief orna- 
ment." 

"They have a 
singular style of 
architecture, if I re- 
member rightly," 
observed the Captain. 
" Their architec- 
ture is very peculiar," 
returned Mr. Pier- 
pont. "In the first 
place, the houses are 
all built on posts, 
some of them twenty 
feet in height, and 
the mode of access 
to them is by means 
of a notched pole, which serves the purpose of a ladder. 
The chief dwelling in every village, and, indeed, practi- 
cally the village itself, is the 'long house,' which is of 
enormous proportions. I measured one of them, and 
found it to be 645 feet long, and, on inquiry, learned 
that it was inhabited by 512 persons. Throughout the 
entire length of the house runs the broad veranda, or 
common room, which is open to all ; and at the side 




A YOUNG DYAK. 




DYAK GIRLS. 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 



675 



are private rooms for the different families, as many as 
seventy or eighty such rooms being sometimes found in 
one house. Although the veranda is common ground, 




and here the members of the community go through 
their various sedentary occupations, each family occupies 
only the Dortioa opposite their own rooms, and no one 
would think of entering another's apartments uninvited. 



676 THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 

" The chief, or Oraiig-kaya, of the long house has a 
much larger room than the others, and the space in fi'ont 
of his room is considered to Ijc devoted to the use of the 
lesser chiefs and councilors, and, although free to all, is 
frequented almost entirely hy the old men and warriors of 
acknowledged courage." 

" I suppose Sumatra is even more interesting than 
Borneo?" said Eugene, in an inquiring tone. 

"Well," returned his uncle, slowly, " that is a matter 
of opinion. Perhaps the best way to put it is to say that 
there is much that is interesting in each that is not com- 
mon to both." 

" I think that 's just it," exclaimed Chester. " For 
instance, Borneo, with all her long houses and broad 
verandas, has no such picturesque villages as may be 
seen in Sumatra." 

" There you are quite right," replied his. uncle. " The 
architecture of Sumatra is very different from that of 
Borneo, and there is really something quite pleasing 
about it, as there is in the dress of the people." 

" The houses are raised on posts or pillars, like those 
of the neighboring islands, are they not ? " asked Eugene. 

" Yes ; but usually not more than from four to eight 
feet from the ground. Still, in some districts, they are 
erected in trees. Those of the poorer classes are made 
of bamboo, and thatched with grass ; but the houses of 
the more wealthy are framed of wood, and the sides en- 
closed by sheets of bark." 

" It is thought by some that Sumatra at one time 
formed a part of the Malay peninsula, is it not ? " asked 
Chester. 

" I do not know as to that," replied Mr. Pierpont. 

" According to Wallace," observed the Professor, " both 
Sumatra and Borneo were formerly connected with the 
peninsula." 



THJS CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 679 

" Well, whatever it once was," said Eugene, " it is a 
large and populous island now." 

" True," rejoined his uncle, " for its extreme length is 
1,050 miles, its greatest breadth 250 miles, its area 160,- 
000 square miles, and its population is estimated at 
nearly 4,000,000." 

" The Dutch claim the greater part of it, do they not ? " 

"They hold possession of a little more than three- 
fourths of the island, a large portion directly, and the 
rest through dependent native rulers." 

" There 's a grand mountain range in the west," ob- 
served Chester, " the result, I suppose, of volcanic action ?" 

" Yes ; and even now there are five active volcanoes. 
The mountain range is near the western coast, and rises 
to a height of from 2,500 to 5,000 feet, with many lofty 
peaks, some of which reach an altitude of nearly 15,000 
feet. The portion of the country lying eastward of the 
great range is a vast, low, and comparatively level forest 
region, watered by numerous and extensive rivers. The 
formation of this vast plain is comparatively recent, and 
the process is still going on, while the western coast is 
believed to be gradually wearing away." 

" How about the climate ? " asked Eugene. 

" The climate varies according to the elevation of the 
land, from the scorching plains of a tropical region to 
the freezing cold of an arctic latitude." 

" There are plenty of wild animals, if travelers are to 
be believed," remarked Chester. 

" Yes, the wild animals are very numerous, and in no 
part of the east does the tiger attain more formidable 
dimensions ; the elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, 
bear, boar, and varieties of deer, monkeys, and many 
other kinds of wild and savage beasts haunt the woods 
and plains. Birds and insects, too, of all sizes and colors, 
literally swarm." 



680 THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 

" What arc soiuc of the products, uncle ? " 

" Rice, sugar, Lctcl, cocoaiiut, millet, coffee, sago, all 
kinds of spice and pepper grow profusely, "while toljacco 
and the cotton plant arc generally cultivated. Then the 
mineral wealth of the island is remarkable, gold heing 
extensively found, as Avell as iron, tin, copper, sulphur, 
and a large number of precious stones." 

" Gold and precious stones ! " exclaimed Eugene. 
" Where do they find the gold ? " 

" In the beds of the rivers, particularly the Indragiri, 
the Jambi, and their tributaries." 

" Let me see," said Chester, " the Batang-Hari is triltu- 
tary to the Jambi ? " 

" Yes, and much gold has been found in its bed." 

" Many of the inhabitants live in floating houses on 
those great streams, do they not?" asked the Professor. 

" Yes," responded Mr. Pierpont ; " and on the Batang- 
Hari, near the Jambi, I have seen quite a collection of 
them — a regular village, in fact. And floating houses 
on the Jambi are a common sight." 

" The dwellers in these aquatic houses are fishermen, I 
suppose ?" 

" Yes, mostly ; and they make a fair living, ti^o, for all 
the streams swarm with fish of many varieties." 

" As I remember, there are quite a number of islands 
on the coast," observed the Captain, presently. 

" Yes ; at some distance off the western coast is a 
chain of islands, comprising several of considerable size,' 
including Pulo Babi or Hog Island, Pulo Xias, Sibiru, 
Sipora, the Poggi Islands, and Eugano. Most of them 
are high, well wooded, and thickly inhabited. The most 
important islands off the eastern coast are Banca and 
Bupat, the latter of which is separated from the main 
island by a narrow channel." 

" The native Sumatrans, the aborigines, are hardly to 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 



683 



be seen on the coast, I suppose ? " said Eugene, inquiringly. 
" No ; they have been driven by the Malays to the inte- 
rior, and are mostly a peaceable and sober people, while 




the mixed tribes along the coast partake more of the 
character of the Malay stock, from which they are 
sprung." 

" But, micle," said Chester, " I have seen the state- 



<)84 THE CHINA SEA AND JXDIAX OCEAN. 

luent that Sumatra itself, in all probability, was the cra- 
dle of the Malay race." 

" Well," returned his uncle, " if Wallace's surmise, 
that the island once formed part of the main land, is true, 
that may have been the case. But, if so, what are you 
going to do with the tribes in the interior, especially 
those whose origin, even to this day, is involved in 
obscurity ? " 

" I 'm sure I don't know," confessed his nephew. 

" There is said to be a fine-looking race about Acheen," 
observed the Captain. 

" Yes," rejoined Mr. Pierpont, " they are taller, stouter, 
and of darker complexion than the other tribes, and are 
supposed to have an infusion of Hindoo blood. The 
Bataks, immediately south of them, and who are said to 
be cannibals, are smaller, of lighter complexion, and alto- 
gether a different race." 

" I suppose there are a great many Europeans on the 
island ? " said Eugene. 

" On the contrary, the entire number in the country 
would hardly exceed 2,000." 

" Gracious ! I should think the natives would rise and 
drive them out." 

" Ah ! but they are forbidden to bear arms, you see." 

" I see, and acknowledge the wisdom of the Dutch." 

" Is not Sumatra a great country for tree-ferns, as Avell 
as bamboos, rattans, and other kinds of reeds ? " asked 
Chester. 

" Yes, there are immense tree-ferns, arid the greatest 
profusion of reeds, which they use for every conceivable 
purpose. Many, perhaps most, of their bridges are made 
of Indian reeds, and some of them arc truly remarkable 
structures." 

" It won't be long, I suppose, before the Dutch will be 
in full pcesession of the island," observed the Captain, 
after a pause. 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 687 

" No," returned Mr. Pierpont ; " and perhaps, on the 
whole, it will be as well ; for, as far as my judgment 
goes, the native independent rulers are a bad lot." 

The Captain being called forward at this point, the 
conversation was diverted to other channels, and, during 
the remaining days of the passage, other matters com- 
manded their attention. 

At length the brothers awoke one morning to find the 
steamer no longer under headway, and, upon going on 
deck, found they were in the harbor of Singapore. 

This important city is situated on an island of the same 
name, which has a population of more than 100,000. The 
island lies off the southern extremity of the Malay penin- 
sula, from which it is separated by a strait forty miles 
long and from one-half to two miles wide. It is twenty- 
five miles long from east to west, and twelve miles wide, 
with an area of not far from 225 square miles. Near the 
coast the country is flat and swampy, and covered with 
mangrove trees, but inland it is hilly, with some emi- 
nences 500 feet high. There are a few small streams, 
and in the lowlands the soil is rich. Nutmegs, ginger, 
pepper, cloves, gambler, tapioca, and sugar-cane are raised. 
The climate is very healthful and -agreeable, and light 
rains are frequent. It is a well-known fact that tigers 
cross the strait to the island, and carry off, on an aver- 
age, a Chinaman every day. Of the inhabitants, about 
55,000 are Chinese, and only 1,400 Europeans. Malay is 
the language commonly spoken. 

The city, which is the capital of the straits settle- 
ments, is on the south side of the island, and has a popu- 
lation of about 93,000. It is divided by. a stream called 
the Singapore River, on the west side of which is the 
Chinese quarter, where all the great mercantile ware- 
houses and counting-houses are situated. On the east 
side are the public buildings, churches, hotels, and the 



688 THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 

residences of most of the Europeans ; and still further 
east is the Malay quarter. On Pearl Hill is a fortress 
which commands the Chinese quarter, and on another 
elevation, back of the European district, is the govern- 
ment house, a stately building of cut stone. In the 
suburbs are many fine residences, and there are splendid 
drives, ample parade grounds, and a botanical^ garden 
with a rare collection of tropical plants. 

Singapore is a free port. The harbor, which is divided 
into two by a tongue of land, is capacious, and the water 
is deep. In consequence of its advantageous position, its 
commerce is enormous — the largest, indeed, of any port 
in this part of the world, the annual imports being about 
$50,000,000, and the exports not far from -^5,000,000. 

For two days the Albatross lay at anchor in the harbor, 
during which time the passengers remained on shore, 
making themselves as familiar as possible with every 
part of the city and its immediate surroundings. On the 
morning of the third day, somewhat reluctantly, they re- 
paired on board, when the yacht steamed through the 
Strait of Malacca. In due time, she rounded the north- 
ern end of Sumatra, and her course was laid for the Cape 
of Good Hope. 

Just to the north were the Nicobar Islands, and -at a 
greater distance the Andaman chain ; but Eugene's mind 
still dwelt on Singapore. 

" It was once the capital of a Malay kingdom, was it 
not, uncle ? " he asked, after receiving answers to several 
other questions. 

"A c^ty," replied his uncle, "which was the capital of 
_ such a kingdom, and which bore the same name, occupied 
the same site in the twelfth century ; but a century later 
it was captured by a king of Java, when the royal resi- 
dence was removed to IMalacca, and it gradually fell into 
decay. So that, in 1819, when the British built a factoiy 



THE CHINA BEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 689 

on the site, the whole island had only one kimdred and 
fifty inhabitants." 

" Singapore — what is the meaning of the word ? " 

" Lion's town ; but perhaps it ought to be tiger's town 
now." 

" How did the British obtain full possession of the 
island at la^?" asked Chester. 

" In the year 1824," replied his uncle, " the sultan of 
Johore, in consideration of $60,000 and a life annuity of 
$24,000, transferred the sovereignty and fee simple of 
the island, and all the seas and islands within ten geo- 
graphical miles to the British government ; and, although 
it seems an extravagant price, the English secured a good 
bargain." 

" Ah ! is n't it a delightful spot ? And then the cli- 
mate ! " exclaimed Eugene. 

• " Yes, indeed," returned his uncle. " The island is 
regarded by the natives as the paradise of India, the 
home of plenty, and the abode of health." 

" There are quite a number of groups and islands in 
this part of the Indian Ocean," remarked Chester, a few 
days later, while, as usual, they were reclining at their 
ease on the quarter-deck. 

" Yes," assented the Captain ; " to the south of us are 
the Compton Rocks, Ady, Candu, and Egraont Island, 
and the Chagos group, while to the north are the Maldive 
and the Lacardive Islands, and Ceylon." 

" Ah, Ceylon ! " exclaimed Eugene. " That is a won- 
derful island." 

" Yes," returned the Captain ; " but for any informa- 
tion regarding it I think you will have to look to the 
Professor." 

" Well, Professor, what can you tell us about Ceylon ? " 

" Ceylon," smiled their friend, " is an island of very 
great importance. It lies, as you know, off the southern 



690 THE CHINA SEA AND- INDfAN OCEAN. 

coa^t of Hindostan, is 270 miles in length, and nearly 100 
in average width, and contains an area of 24,000 square 
miles. The island is extremely mountainous in its cen- 
tral parts, and flat and well-wooded on its shores. Adam's 
Peak, as it is called, the highest mountain in the island, 
is 8,000 feet above the level of the sea, and the spot celelii-a- 
ted in Hindoo mythology as the place from which Buddha 
ascended to heaven, his last earthly trace being left on 
the apex of the mountain in the form of a gigantic foot- 
print deeply stamped into the rock. All the animals 
common to India are to be found in Ceylon, the elephant, 
in particular, being universally met with, wandering about 
the streets and roads with unrestrained liberty. In no 
part of the world is the sagacity of this animal so remark- 
ably developed as on this island, and nowhere else are 
they found so large, some measuring sixteen feet in 
height." 

" How long is it since the island first fell into the hands 
of Europeans ? " asked Eugene. 

" It was taken by the Portuguese in 1505," replied the 
Professor. " They held possession of it for a century, 
when the Dutch, took it from them, the British finally 
wresting it from Holland, and erecting it into a separate 
government or presidency." 

" What is the population ? " asked Chester. 

" Not far from 2,500,000," was the answer. 

" In mentioning the islands to the south of us, Cap- 
tain," said Eugene, presently, " I noticed you left out St. 
Brandon, Rodriqu^ Isle, Mauritius or Isle of France, and 
Bourbon or Reunion." 

" Yes," assented the Captain, " and so I did the Isle de 
Lisboa, Tromelin, and a dozen other isles and groups, 
and for the simple reason that they are not in this part 
of the ocean." 

" Nevertheless," said Eugene, " I should like very much 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 691 

to hear something about the isle that was the scea©- of 
Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's ' Paul and Virginia.' " 

" Well," said the Professor, " I can tell you this much : 
Mauritius, which is about 600 miles to the east of Mada- 
gascar, belongs to Great Britain, and has an area of 676 
square miles. It is exceedingly picturesque, having 
irregular mountains, with bold and grand outlines, rising 
into points and pinnacles, some of them to an elevation 
of 2,800 feet above the sea. It is regarded as the port of 
Reunion, upon which island it almost wholly depends for 
provisions, producing itself only wheat, maize, yams, and 
sugar. The exports consist of coffee, cotton, indigo, raw 
sugar, and cloves. The population is more than 480,000, 
of whom some 15,000 are whites, the rest being Hindoos, 
negroes, and what are known iis hill-coolies. The island 
was discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, and in 1598 it 
it was taken by the Dutch, who named it in honor of 
Prince Maurice. The French took possession of it in 
1715, and called it Isle de France. It fell into the hands 
of the British in 1810, and their possession of it was con- 
firmed by the peace treaties of 1814 and 1815." 

" You mentioned Madagascar, Professor," said Chester. 
" I have felt considerable interest in that great island 
since its recent brave struggle with France." 

" And is the struggle over, then ? " asked his uncle, in 
some surprise. 

" Yes, sir," returned Chester ; " and according to an 
item I saw in an English newspaper at Singapore, in the 
treaty of peace just concluded at Antananarivo, the capi- 
tal of Madagascar, France waives all claim to a protect- 
orate over the island, Madagascar agrees, however to 
pay, and France agrees to accept, 12,000,000 for a release 
which is to cover all foreign claims against Madagascar, 
both those antedating the war just closed, and those 
growing out of it, France to occupy Tamatave until the 
money is paid." 



692 THE CHINA SEA ANL> INDIAN OCEAN. 

" I wish, for your sakes, we might pay the great island 
a brief visit," said Mr. Pierpont, " for its general appear- 
ance is beautiful in the extreme, the surface of the coun- 
try being diversified by a great variety of scenery, lofty 
hills, and fertile valleys, the whole covered with every 
description of vegetation and immense forests." 

" Ah ! " exclaimed Chester, " the vegetation is most 
remarkable, I know, and there are some wonders in the 
way of plants. How I should like to secure a specimen 
of the lace-leaf, and for .once quench my thirst from a 
traveler's tree ! " 

" I would like much to indulge you in your laudable 
desires, gentlemen," smiled the Captain ; " but the time 
is getting short, and they are anxiously expecting us at 
home." 

" Oh ! home, by all means, now," exclaimed the Pro- 
fessor ; " and when we reach Caj^e Town, I shall feel that 
we are almost there." 

" At all events, we shall then be on the waters of the 
Atlantic again, and that 's something toward it," said the 
Captain, as he hastened to join Jasper Morgan and the 
second mate. 

In due time, after a pleasant run, they doubled the 
Cape of Good Hope and entered Table Bay, where the 
yacht remained at anchor for thirty-six hours. 

Of course the passengers seized this opportunity to 
visit Cape Town, which is rapidly becoming an attractive 
city. The botanical garden interested them most, and 
here they spent some hours ; then, after looking at the 
canals and public buildings, and paying a visit to the top 
of Table Mountain, they returned to the yacht for a late 
supper and a night's rest. The next morning the Alha- 
t?'oss steamed out of the bay, and, entering the broad 
Atlantic, turned her head toward Home. 

In due time St. Helena appeared in sight, and, contrary 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 693 

to the expectations of the passengers, the yacht came to 
anchor in Jamestown harbor. 

The Captain now informed them that he should remain 
in port for twenty-four hours ; so, securing the company 
of Jasper Morgan, they hastened ashore, and as all good 
pilgrims to this far-famed isle have done for the past half 
century, set out for Longwood, tke last residence on earth 
of the first Napoleon. 

St. Helena belongs to England. It is a precipitous and 
rocky island in mid-ocean, lying 1,200 miles off the coast 
of Benguela, and occupies an area of twenty-eight miles 
in circumference. It is almost everywhere surrounded 
by rugged perpendicular rocks, rising from 600 to 2,000 
feet, here and there broken through by chasms extending 
to the sea-shore. The most important of these rifts is 
St. James's Valley, on the northwest, terminating at 
Jamestown, the only port or harbor of the island, and the 
residence of all the authorities. The place is so strongly 
defended, both by nature and art, that, until the recent 
wonderful improvements in heavy marine ordnance, it 
defied invasion. The interior is fertile and covered with 
gardens, orchards, and plantations, and the climate so 
remarkably healthy that invalids, particularly from India, 
retire to it for the benefit of their health. Diana's Peak, 
the highest point on the island, is 2,693 feet above Ihe 
sea. The total population, including Europeans, the gar- 
rison, Chinese, and negroes, is about 6,200. 

Probably we should know little and care less about St. 
Helena were it not for the fact that it was to this lonely 
spot that, on the 16th of October, 1815, the great Napo- 
leon was banished, and here that he died on the 5th of 
May, 1821. But his body does not repose on the island, 
for in 1840 it was removed with great pomp to France, 
and all that St. Helena now has to remember him by is 
the dilapidated house at Longwood, where he dwelt, and 
an empty grave, where for a time his body was buried. 



694 THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 

The party from tlic Albatross examined the miserable 
stable that had served the French emperor as a dwelling- 
place, and thought of the meanness of England. They 
stood beside the empty grave, and remembered the vulgar 
brutality of Sir Hudson Lowe. They visited Napoleon's 
walk, and sighed over the selfish ambition of a great man ; 
were duly robbed by all with whom they came in contact, 
and at night returned to the yacht thoroughly disgusted 
with island and people, and ready to leave them and 
return no more. 

The next morning they were once more steaming 
northward, and soon had passed Ascension Island, and 
were making toward St. Paul. Having left the latter 
isle far astern, the Cape Yerdes were at a considerable 
distance on the right. 

This group l^elongs to Portugal, and consists of ten 
large and four smaller islands, their united area being 
about 1,680 square miles. They are very mountainous, 
and one of them contains a volcano, which rises to the 
height of 9,157 feet. They are exceedingly fertile, and 
produce several sorts of grain, coffee, cotton, indigo, and 
tobacco, and a great abundance of fruit. There are 
plenty of cattle, pigs, and goats ; fowls are plentiful, and 
fish abound along the coasts. The inhabitants are fre- 
quently reduced to great distress for want of water. 
Their principal occupations are. agriculture and making a 
preparation of salt ; but they manufacture leather, linen, 
soap, and pottery. The population is not far from 70,000. 

About eight degrees north of the Cape Verdes are the 
Canary Isles, the more important of which are Teneriffe, 
Grand Canary, Palma, Lanzarote, Fuerteventure, Gomera, 
and Ferro. The area of the entire group is 2,800 square 
miles. The wdiole are extremely mountainous, and in 
some the mountains reach an immense elevation, their 
verdant and fruitful sides representing each zone by the 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 695 

cuaracter of tlie vegetation that, in succeeding belts, 
shows the products of each clime, from the temperate to 
the arctic. The highest of all the peaks is that of Tene- 
riffe, rising to 12,182 feet. The soil of the Canaries is 
very fertile, and yields in plenty all the cereal crops, 
potatoes, and other vegetables required for the support of 
the inhabitants, and for the ships that occasionally call 
at them for provisions ; but the chief growth is the vine, 
and the staple manufacture is wine, which, with brandy 
and a few other articles, is exported in great quantities. 
Among the native birds are the much-prized canaries. 

A little to the north of this group are the Madeira 
Islands, which belong to Portugal. There are only three 
isles of any consequence, — Madeira, the most important, 
Porto Santo, and the Desertas. The principal island, 
Madeira, is about thirty miles long and twelve broad, and 
the surface entirely consists of a series of hills, rising one 
above another, till they culminate in mountains 6,000 
feet above the sea. The sides of these mountains are 
covered with the produce of the island, of which the vine 
forms the principal object, and on the cultivation of 
which so much of its prosperity depends. Wheat, barley, 
oats, coffee, and arrow-root are grown in small quantities. 

Northwest of the Madeira Isles, and in the latitude of 
Lisbon, lie the Azores, a group of three clusters of vol- 
canic islands, rising bold and rugged from the bosom of 
the Atlantic. The first, or most eastward cluster, is 
composed of two islands, St. Michael and St. Mary ; the 
central cluster of five, St. George, Pico, Terceira, Fayal, 
and Graciosa ; while the third cluster, which is considera- 
bly apart to the west, also contains two islands of import- 
ance, Corvo and Florea. 

But the yacht's course was far to the westward of all 
these groups, and at length they were once more in the 
neighborhood of the West Indies. 

" We had hoped to pay another visit to the groups and 



696 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAX OCEAN. 



clusters about the Caribbean Sea before returning home," 
remarked Eugene one day, while they "vv^ere off the Lesser 
Antilles. " Indeed, we were particularly anxious to see 
the Leeward Islands." 




" If you are ever in that part of the world," said his 
uncle, " don't fail to visit the islands of the delta of the 
Oronoco. They will repay you for your trouble." 



THE CHINA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. G97 

"What is there particularly interesting about those 
islands ? " 

" Well, for one thing, the aquatic dwellings of the in- 
habitants. You see, for many months in each year, large 
portions of the islands are under water, and so the inhab- 
itants become lake-dwellers, and their only means of 
communicating with one another and the shore, which at 
such times is miles away, is by canoes. But they seem 
to like the life, for the water beneath them and the palms 
which support their dwellings furnish them with all the 
food they require." 

" We must surely see these aquatic people some day," 
said Eugene. 

" Indeed we must," assented his brother. 

On and on steamed the Albatross, every hour taking 
them further north, and nearer home. At length, one 
beautiful morning in June, they passed the Light, and 
entered the harbor of the university town. 

Quickly the intelligence of their arrival must have 
reached their friends, for hardly had the yacht come to 
anchor iil her old berth off Belle Bock, when an excited 
party of ladies and gentlemen appeared on the wharf, 
and, having filled two large boats, were rapidly pulled 
toward the steamer. 

Chester was intently watching a graceful figure in the 
foremost boat, when Eugene, clutching him by the arm, 
exclaimed : 

" Brother, what ship is that ? Is it not the Mansfield?" 

" It is ! " exclaimed Chester, turning toward the vessel, 
indicated ; " and a boat is just putting off from her side." 

" And there are ladies in it," added the Professor. 
" Mrs. Beach, and Mrs. Hamilton's sister and daughter, 
no doubt." 

An expression of satisfaction came into Eugene's face, 
as he said : 



C'J8 TUE CHliNA SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. 

" A voyage among- the Isles of -the Sea is a very good 
thing, but I am not at all sorry to get home." 

A moment later their friends had reached the yacht, 
and were helped on board. Then the greetings commenced. 

There were uncles and aunts and cousins to be saluted. 
The president of the university was there ; so was Pro- 
fessor Gregory, and his friend, Captain Watson ; so, too, 
was he whose guests they had so long been, — Warren 
Worthington. 

To all these the party from the Mansfield was speedily 
added, and the greetings were renewed. 

Chester soon found himself by the side of his fair 
cousin Grace, and Eugene discovered that he had much 
to say to Miss Kilbourn. 

The president and Mr. Worthington had been convers- 
ing with Lyman Picrpont for some time. Presently they 
turned, and addressing the brothers, Mr. Worthington 
said : 

" Well, young gentlemen, the foundations of Worthing- 
ton Hall are laid, and the superstructure is rapidly rising 
toward completion." 

"Yes, thanks to you, my young friends," added the 
president, "the first new building is growing into beauti- 
ful proportions, and the post-graduate department of our 
university is an assured fact." 

"To be instrumental, even in the slightest degree, 
toward accomplishing so much for our alma mater" re- 
turned Eugene, " we would gladly again s})cnd a year or 
more among the Isles of the Sea." 

THE END. 



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